Visit of US Delegation to Dakhla Shows Unwavering Support for Process of Opening US Consulate, Ambassador Says

PERSISMA, Dakhla, Morocco – The visit to Dakhla of a high-level US delegation, led by the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, shows the unwavering support of the United States to the process of opening their Consulate General in Dakhla, said the US ambassador to Morocco, David Fischer, on Sunday10 January 2021.

“By being here today, we have taken another important step in securing the partnership between our great nations,” said Fischer, who was speaking at a press briefing following a visit out by the US delegation to the premises of the future US Consulate General in Dakhla, in the presence in particular of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita.

The US diplomat recalled that President Donlad Trump had announced, last December, the signing of a proclamation regarding the decision of the United States of America to recognize the full sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco over the entire Moroccan Sahara territory.

“Last month, President Trump recognized the inevitable and declared the obvious: the Sahara is Moroccan, and Morocco has the only just and lasting solution to settle the fate of the territory,” he said, by referring to the autonomy plan presented by the Kingdom.

“We are here today to make President Trump’s proclamation a reality, by significantly expanding the presence of the US government in the southern provinces,” he pointed out.

Fischer also expressed his thanks to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, “whose strong dedication to the US-Moroccan friendship was essential to make this visit possible.”

He noted that the US government has already taken a step towards establishing a diplomatic representation in Dakhla, through opening a virtual consulate with an online presence, adding that “this was however only the first step”.

“The process of opening a new consulate is not one we take lightly,” he said, noting that Dakhla, which “has clear potential for an even better future”, deserves a similar commitment to that made in Casablanca, “where we are making significant investments to build a magnificent new consulate, equal to the grandeur of this city”.

The US diplomat recalled that every US administration since Bill Clinton has supported the Moroccan autonomy plan as a path to peace.

“The United States has been investing in the future of the southern provinces since Barack Obama’s administration, primarily through funding from the State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative, which focuses on creating jobs and strengthening civil society,” he recalled.