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Immediate Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Moroccan Minister for Administration of National Defense Abdellatif Loudiyi

Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper met in Rabat today with Abdellatif Loudiyi, Morocco’s Minister-Delegate to the Head of Government in Charge of the National Defense Administration.  They affirmed U.S. and Moroccan enduring commitment to a strategic partnership to deter threats and decisively act to address shared challenges, noting the historic bilateral relationship has endured 242 years and has been defined by mutual trust and respect, shared values, and the desire to achieve common objectives.

The Secretary and the Minister-Delegate acknowledged the need to continue building the close security partnership between the United States and Morocco, which includes more than 100 military engagements with the U.S. armed forces annually, including recent bilateral naval and air exercises that demonstrated operational interoperability.

Secretary Esper and Minister-Delegate Loudiyi also discussed the importance of the new Roadmap for Defense Cooperation between the United States and Morocco, which details cooperation in priority areas including enhancing Moroccan military capacity, deepening interoperability, boosting force readiness, and supporting Morocco’s role in maintaining regional security.