Under Secretary Burns Statements at the Moroccan MFA > > Thank you very much Mr. Minister. Im delighted to be back in Morocco, > a country which I have had the pleasure of visiting many times before. > The partnership between the United States, Morocco and the Moroccan > people is a very high priority for President Obama and Secretary > Clinton. Its never been more important than at this moment. > > I was very glad to have the opportunity to reaffirm that directly to > my friend and colleague the Foreign Minister. As the Minister said, we > had an excellent discussion of a range of important bilateral and > regional issues. > > This is a moment of profound change across the region. People are > continuing to seek freedom and dignity and opportunity. That pursuit of > those aspirations will take different shapes in different societies. > > People and leaderships in the region will have to make their own > choices. But every society is going to have to address those aspirations. > > In Morocco, there is strong record of efforts under the leadership of > King Mohammed to open up opportunities. Morocco obviously continues to > face many challenges but in many respects its been a model of economic > and social, and political reform. Civil society organizations have > grown rapidly and there is a will continue down the path of reform and > modernization, as the Minister said. > > The United States will continue to do everything that we can to support > that effort, in the spirit of our partnership through the Millennium > Challenge Account, through energetic efforts to expand trade and > investment opportunities, including a major American trade mission that > intends to come to Morocco in the coming months. > > So once again Mr. Minister, thank you for your kind hospitality. Ive > been reminded once again on this visit of the extraordinary potential > for Morocco and Moroccans and of the extraordinary potential of our > partnership. Thank you. > > On 3/3/11 11:39 AM, Carlos Ruiz Miguel wrote: > > I agree with Suzanna. > > > > It is extraordinary strange that it is impossible to find such a > > statement in the official USA webpages. > > > > In any case, the Moroccan official did not SUPPORT the Moroccan plan. > > > > Estase citando Suzana Braz > > > >: > > > Dear All, > > > > > > since yesterday i have been looking for USA official statements in no > > > Morocco´s propaganda web page. Till now i haven ´t found nothing yet. > > > > > > I simply doubt this kind of statements at the present moment. > > > > > > > > > > > > In Solidarity, > > > > > > Suzana > > > > > > > > > > > > 2011/3/3 Sara Eyckmans > > > > > > > > >> Dodgy source, but just FYI > > > > prnewswire/news-releases/us-under-sec-of-state-says-us-mor > > occo-partnership-more-important-than-ever-reiterates-support-for-western- > > sahara-autonomy-plan-cites-moroccan-reforms-117190463.html > > > > >> U.S. Under Sec. of State Says U.S.-Morocco Partnership More > > >> Important Than Ever, Reiterates Support for Western Sahara Autonomy > > >> Plan, Cites Moroccan Reforms > > >> > > >> WASHINGTON, March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Calling Morocco > > >> a model of economic, social, and political reform, William J. > > >> Burns, > > > > Under > > > > >> Secretary for Political Affairs for the U.S. State Department, met > > >> with Moroccos Foreign Minister Taib Fassi Fihri in Rabat Sunday, > > >> where he underscored the importance of U.S.-Morocco relations in the > > >> current regional unrest, and reaffirmed U.S. backing of Moroccos > > >> autonomy > > > > plan to > > > > >> resolve the Western Sahara dispute. > > >> > > >> The partnership between the United States, Morocco and the Moroccan > > >> people is a very high priority for President Obama and Secretary > > > > Clinton, > > > > >> said Burns at a joint press briefing with Fassi Fihri in Rabat. > > > > Its never > > > > >> been more important than at this moment. > > >> > > >> Burns reiterated U.S. support for Moroccos compromise solution to > > > > resolve > > > > >> the decades-long Western Sahara conflict: The United States > > > > continues to > > > > >> believe that the Moroccan autonomy proposal is a serious and > > > > credible plan, > > > > >> he stated at the joint press briefing, reported the *Maghreb Arab > > > > Press*. > > > > >> This is a moment of profound change across the region. People are > > >> continuing to seek freedom and dignity and opportunity, said Burns. > > >> Pursuit of those aspirations will take different shapes in different > > >> societies, he said. In Morocco, there is a strong record of efforts > > >> under the leadership of King Mohammed VI to open up opportunities. > > >> Morocco continues to face many challenges, but its been a model > > >> of reforms. Civil society organizations have grown rapidly and there > > >> is a will to continue down the path of reform and modernization. > > >> > > >> Fassi Fihri shared Burns assessment of the importance of > > >> Rabat-Washingtonrelations and > > >> Moroccos concern with regional events. He said Morocco was closely > > >> following international efforts to address the situation in Libya > > > > and is > > > > >> concerned about reports of the use of foreign forces in Libya. > > >> > > >> The United States will continue to do everything that we can to > > > > support > > > > >> Moroccos ongoing reforms and modernization, said Burns, in the > > > > spirit of > > > > >> our partnership through the Millennium Challenge Account, through > > > > energetic > > > > >> efforts to expand trade and investment opportunities, including a > > >> major American trade mission that intends to come to Morocco in the > > >> coming months. > > >> > > >> Morocco continues to demonstrate its commitment to openness and > > > > show that > > > > >> reforms, not repression, are the answer for advancing the rights of > > >> its citizens and stability of its civil society, said Robert Holley, > > >> executive director, Moroccan American Center for Policy. That > > > > difference > > > > >> makes Morocco a valuable partner for the U.S., and an important > > > > player in > > > > >> the region. Morocco deserves Americas support, in actions as well as > > >> words, to resolve the Western Sahara impasse, which continues to be a > > >> source of instability in North Africa. > > >> > > >> *The Moroccan American Center for Policy (MACP)* is a non-profit > > >> organization whose principal mission is to inform opinion makers, > > > > government > > > > >> officials and interested publics in the United States about > > > > political and > > > > >> social developments in Morocco and the role being played by the > > > > Kingdom of > > > > >> Morocco in broader strategic developments in North Africa, the > > >> Mediterranean, and the Middle East. For more, please visit > > >> moroccanamericanpolicy.org. > > >> > > >> *This material is distributed by the Moroccan American Center for > > > > Policy > > > > >> on behalf of the Government of Morocco. Additional information is > > > > available > > > > >> at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC.* > > >> > > >> SOURCE Moroccan American Center for Policy
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 18:18:41 +0000