"We continue to view Morocco’s autonomy plan as serious, credible, and realistic," said State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a statement following talks held in Washington between Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken, and Morocco's minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita.

The two sides expressed "strong support" for the new United Nations Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General Staffan de Mistura in leading the U.N. led political process for the Sahara.

They hailed the upcoming first anniversary of the Joint Declaration among Morocco, Israel, and the United States on December 22, which enshrined the US recognition of Morocco's full sovereignty over the Sahara.

The two officials discussed a range of regional issues, including the continued deepening of relations between Morocco and Israel, Price added, recalling that "the longstanding bilateral partnership between Washington and Rabat is rooted in shared interests in regional peace, security, and prosperity."