MFA Official Points Up Morocco’s Significant Expertise in Combating Proliferation of WMDs

Morocco has developed significant expertise and knowledge in the field of combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), emphasized Redouane Houssaini, the Director of the United Nations and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, on Wednesday in Marrakech. “Morocco also embodies a compelling example of strengthening cooperation among African countries,” stated Houssaini in a press statement following the opening ceremony of the political meeting for the Promotion of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) dedicated to African countries. Highlighting the Kingdom’s readiness to collaborate in this domain with countries on the continent within the framework of tripartite cooperation (United States-Morocco-African countries), he specified that this meeting, part of the strategic partnership between Morocco and the United States launched in 2013 under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI and former U.S. President Barack Obama, is “important and unique” due to the remarkable participation of African countries. “This meeting aims to encourage many African countries to join this initiative, representing a practical and flexible mechanism to promote the exchange of information, expertise, and experiences among African countries to limit the proliferation of WMDs,” he explained. In this context, Houssaini discussed the conference’s organizational context, marked by profound changes in African security, shifting from traditional threats to emerging threats, the intensification of relations between terrorist groups, separatists, and organized crime networks in Africa, and the lack of regional and inter-regional cooperation among many African countries, noting that “Morocco’s example is clear in this regard.” According to Houssaini, the meeting should result in a joint declaration between Morocco and the United States, leading to an institutional process that will enable African countries to effectively participate in this process and initiative through exercises, seminars, and workshops focused on the exchange of expertise and experiences.