Tangier hosts the meeting of the Proliferation Security Initiative for North Africa

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The meeting of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) for North Africa kicked-off on December 6, 2022 in Tangier, at the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates and the Departments of State and Defense of the United States of America.

The purpose of holding this meeting in Morocco is to promote PSI in Africa and encourage more countries in the region to join the initiative.

It will allow member countries to exchange experiences, expertise and best practices, as well as strengthen national capacities and inter-ministerial coordination in the field of non-proliferation.

This regional meeting, which takes place on December 6-8, contributes to the strengthening of bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004), to prevent the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by non-state actors and terrorist groups.

Speaking at the opening of this event, the Director of the United Nations and International Organizations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Redouane Houssaini, stressed the symbolic importance of holding this important meeting in Tangier, a city emblematic of the bicentennial relations between Morocco and the United States of America and the dynamic of the partnership between the two countries, to which His Majesty King Mohammed VI attaches special attention.

The official also highlighted the unique geographical position of Tangier, which gives this meeting a Mediterranean and Atlantic scope, which will catalyze regional cooperation on non-proliferation in the Mediterranean basin and the African Atlantic coast.

Houssaini called, in this regard, to refocus the efforts of the international community on non-proliferation in the Mediterranean, a strategic trade hub, recalling the unique characteristics of this area, namely the deep links between the challenges of terrorism, separatism and risks of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non-state actors, the connections with the security threats of the Sahel and the African Atlantic coastline and the political obstacles to a genuine sub-regional cooperation in North Africa.

He affirmed that Morocco remains committed to the strategic goals of strengthening African national capacities and regional and sub-regional cooperation to address the challenge of WMD proliferation, following a pragmatic and results-based approach.

For his part, the Director of the Office of Counterproliferation Initiatives in the U.S. Department of State, Thomas W. Zarzecki, emphasized the leadership of Morocco in the framework of the PSI, praising the efforts made by the Kingdom to promote the principles of the Initiative in Africa.

The senior U.S. official stressed that Morocco and the United States of America share the same vision for strengthening their cooperation, aiming to expand the membership of the Initiative, expressing the readiness of the U.S. side to continue to share its expertise with the Moroccan Security Departments, with the aim of addressing conventional and emerging security threats in the Mediterranean and the African Atlantic coast.

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates and the U.S. Department of State pledged to work toward the 20th anniversary of the Proliferation Security Initiative, to strengthen their cooperation and promote the Initiative among African countries.

The organization of this regional meeting by the Kingdom of Morocco is part of the implementation of the terms of the Strategic Dialogue between Morocco and the United States of America in its security component.

More than sixty participants are taking part in this regional meeting, including high-level experts representing the various Moroccan and American departments concerned with the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and high-level experts from African countries, including Angola, Kenya, Mauritania, Djibouti and Cameroon, as well as European countries, including France, Italy, Spain and Greece.

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