In a statement to the press following the talks with Mr. Bourita, Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said: "We express our deep appreciation to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for His commitment to strengthening relations between the United States and Morocco, and for His role in promoting peace, prosperity and security in the region and the world".

The talks with Mr. Bourita provided an opportunity to review the strong relationship between the United States and Morocco, and to discuss bilateral cooperation "to address, together, a wide range of regional and international challenges," said Senator Menendez.

Recalling that Morocco is one of the closest and oldest allies of the United States, the U.S. lawmaker said the meeting was also an opportunity to highlight the importance of the bilateral partnership "on a range of security issues, particularly the fight against terrorism".

In this regard, the U.S. senator said he was confident that Moroccan-American relations "can only get stronger in the years to come”.

Mr. Menendez also focused on the "warming of relations between Morocco and Israel," stressing that these relations "are already creating new opportunities for peace and prosperity”.

For his part, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stressed that "members of both parties see Morocco as a stabilizing force in an unstable region," adding that the Kingdom "stands out as a stable force for good”.

The South Carolina Senator stressed that the relationship between Rabat and Washington "is one of the strongest that the United States of America maintains in the region”.

Senator Graham noted that the U.S. Ambassador to Morocco, Mr. Puneet Talwar, in addition to being one of the closest people to President Joe Biden, "enjoys the respect of the members of the United States Senate”.