Schenker holds talks with Morocco FM

US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Bourita hold talks in Rabat several days after US Defence Secretary’s signing of 10-year military cooperation deal with Rabat.

RABAT – Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser held talks Monday with US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker in Rabat.

Schenker’s visit came several days after US Defence Secretary Mark Esper’s visit to Morocco as part of his Maghreb tour aimed at beefing up the fight against terrorism and Islamic extremists in war-torn the Sahel and helping reach a settlement in Libya.

Esper signed on October 2 signed a 10-year military cooperation deal with Rabat, two days after signing a similar deal in Tunisia.

Washington sees the North African kingdom as a key ally in fighting terrorism in the region.

“Now more than ever, our two nations are working closely together to tackle the challenges of the increasingly complex security environment, ranging from counterterrorism and other transnational threats to regional instability and broader strategic challenges,” he said before the signing.

Bourita said the deal “clearly reaffirms that our alliance is strong and here to stay”, citing major challenges including “terrorism, violent extremism and all kinds of separatism.”