“A bright future awaits us with the Peace Board at the helm!” the United States ambassador in Rabat publicly stated on his social networks. David T. Fischerin reference to its president, Donald Trumpto the king Mohamed VI and to the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bouritaafter “this momentous signing” on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Precisely, Morocco was the first country to make public days before the meeting that it had accepted Trump’s invitation to join his Global Peace Board as a founding member, through a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Moroccan sovereign responded favorably to the invitation so that Morocco ratified the Charter of the Junta because it considers that “Trump’s vision is to promote peace.”
The Alawite monarch, president of the Al-Quods Committee, received the invitation directly from the American president to take part as a founding partner of this world organization that launches this initiative aimed at “contributing to peace efforts in the Middle East and adopting a new approach to resolve conflicts in the world,” maintains the same Moroccan document.
In this way, the neighboring country applauds the launch of what it considers “the second phase of President Trump’s global peace plan” and the official creation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) as a temporary transitional body.
“The Peace Board takes the legal form of an international organization with the ambition to promote stability, restore governance and guarantee lasting peace in areas affected or threatened by conflicts,” maintains Rabat.
In Rabat they consider that “the mandate of this main structure will be based on practical cooperation, effective action and partnerships oriented towards tangible results.”
Trump chose the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland, the heart of Europe, to preside over the founding ceremony of the Peace Board, where his son-in-law, Jared Kushner showed slides of a “New Gaza.”
Mohamed VI could not attend due to being on medical leave, but “I reiterate his constant commitment in favor of a just, global and lasting peace in the Middle East, which allows the establishment of a Palestinian State within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side and in peace with Israel,” according to the Foreign Affairs statement.
In his place, Foreign Minister and top diplomatic representative Nasser Bourita attended, who was seen very smiling and close to Trump during the conference and signing.
Trump’s project was originally designed to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, but it does not explicitly mention the Palestinian territory and assigns it a broader objective. In addition, States that run for a permanent seat on that Board will have to pay “more than $1 billion in cash.”
Only a restricted group of international leaders will be part of the organization, “committed to a safe and prosperous future for future generations,” says Foreign Affairs. Therefore, this invitation “constitutes a recognition of the enlightened leadership of His Majesty the King and his stature as an unavoidable actor of peace. It bears witness to the trust that the sovereign enjoys before the president of the United States and the international community.”
Participation in this Board is carried out exclusively by invitation of the President of the United States. Trump reached out to European leaders who have avoided integration, with the exception of Hungary and Bulgaria, because of the challenge it poses to the UN.
Emmanuel Macronwho refused to join the organization directly, received threats from the American president to impose tariffs on French wine and champagne. For his part, the president Pedro Sanchez He thanked the invitation but declined to join the group.
Congressional Delegation
At the same time, the prime minister Aziz Akhannouch met with a US congressional delegation in Rabat on January 19. The objective was to examine means of strengthening the strategic relations of both countries.
In this way, the Moroccan leader reviewed the reforms and initiatives undertaken under the direction of the Alawite monarch. He also took advantage of the occasion to celebrate the position of the United States that supports the autonomy plan for Western Sahara, which Morocco considers the southern provinces.
Both parties congratulated each other on the growth of commercial exchanges between Morocco and the United States, stressing that “Morocco is in a position to become a center for American investments in the region, within the framework of a mutually beneficial partnership.”
In each meeting they do not miss the opportunity to highlight the historical relations that have united them since the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1987, the oldest document linking the United States with another country.
Currently, Rabat awaits Trump’s visit to the country to ratify his presidential decree of December 10, 2020 that supports Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Sahrawi territory. Sources close to the royal palace assure EL ESPAÑOL that “Trump is expected to also refer to other Spanish territories in his speech,” such as the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
Defense Cooperation
Likewise, the minister delegated to the head of the Government in charge of the National Defense Administration, Abdellatif Loudyireceived the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Jason Smithwho attended the Congress delegation.
He praised the high level of cooperation in the military field and “reaffirmed their commitment to consolidate and strengthen bilateral relations,” indicates a statement from the National Defense Administration.
Likewise, he highlighted the various south-south cooperation and regional integration initiatives, which “turn Morocco into a dynamic actor of shared stability and prosperity for the benefit of the African continent.”
In such a way that it positioned Morocco as “an important actor of shared stability and prosperity in the face of the different challenges that mark regional security.”
Their bilateral defense cooperation is characterized by the regular holding of the Defense Consultative Committee, the frequent exchange of visits by senior officials and the joint organization of the important annual African Lion exercise.
In turn, Mohamed VI signed a project support agreement with the Bayt Mal Al-Qods Asharif Agency (Jerusalem Fund) on January 23 to finance humanitarian aid during the holy month of Ramadan.
This is a human development program and support for small income-generating projects, as well as medical campaigns in Bedouin settlements and villages.