The President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Andrew Ginther, has hailed the wisdom of Morocco’s monarch, King Mohammed VI for his focus on the cities of Morocco,  particularly in the Moroccan Sahara.

 “The wisdom of His Majesty to focus on the cities of Morocco, the development of the cities throughout Morocco, particularly in the Sahara, is exemplary,” Ginther told the press following his meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita on Tuesday.

 The visit by the delegation of American mayors, which falls within the framework of the twinning agreements between the American cities of Arlington and Columbus with Laayoune and Dakhla respectively, is “a great opportunity to witness firsthand the progress achieved in Morocco under the leadership of HM the King,” noted Ginther, who is also mayor of Columbus, Ohio.

 “Our visit will also take us to the Moroccan Sahara, where two MoUs will be signed with the cities of Dakhla and Laayoun,” he stated.

 Recalling that the U.S. officially recognizes Morocco’s full sovereignty over its Sahara, Ginther said that he was “looking forward” to meeting with elected officials from the region to “hear about the Autonomy Plan and explore ways and means to collaborate.”

 The U.S. delegation discussed the importance of local cooperation and development with Bourita, Ginther said, adding that Morocco “is America’s oldest friend and we’re pleased to reaffirm today our strategic relationship.”

 In this respect, he said that promoting cooperation is” essential” for strengthening bilateral relations between the Kingdom and the U.S. as it promotes “innovative, community driven solutions for shared challenges.”

 For his part, Jim Ross, Mayor of Arlington, Texas, pointed out that the American delegation’s visit was intended to “help nurture the wonderful relationship” between the United States and Morocco.

 “Those relationships give us an opportunity to be better together. That’s what we believe as part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and as Mayors,” he said.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, on Monday reaffirmed the “immense value” the EU places on its strategic partnership with Morocco.

 “The 27 [member states] wish to deepen the partnership between Morocco and the EU, which is a long-term, extensive, and profound partnership,” stated the EU High Representative during a press conference presenting the conclusions of the EU Foreign Affairs Council held in Luxembourg.

 “We have established friendly relations and multi-faceted cooperation with Morocco, and we wish to continue and strengthen it in the coming months,” he assured.

He added that EU foreign ministers took note of the European Court of Justice rulings on the EU-Morocco fisheries and agricultural agreements.

 In this regard, the EU’s chief diplomat reiterated the content of the joint statement with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, reaffirming the EU bloc’s commitment to further preserving and strengthening close relations with Morocco in all areas, in line with the principle of ‘pacta sunt servanda.’

 “In close cooperation with Morocco, the EU wishes to strengthen these relations and preserve this partnership in all areas,” he concluded.

Two of the three countries designated as hosts of the milestone 2030 FIFA World Cup, Morocco and Portugal are also strengthening bilateral relationships that are over a century old. Coincidentally both countries along with Spain are hosting the edition of the World Cup that marks 100 years of the global event.

At the weekend, Portugal took note of the decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union on  regarding the agreements between the European Union and Morocco in the areas of fisheries and agricultural product liberalization.

Portugal considers that the partnership between the European Union and Morocco is essential and will work with European partners and institutions to deepen it in all areas.

On a bilateral level, Portugal and Morocco also have a strategic partnership marked by a long-standing relationship of respect and friendship, with substantial political, diplomatic, and economic ties.

In this year, which marks the 250th anniversary of the peace treaty, strengthening relations with Morocco, both bilaterally and at the European level, is a strategic priority for Portugal.