US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper signed a military cooperation deal Friday with Morocco, his final stop on a North Africa tour aimed at beefing up the fight against extremists in war-torn Libya and the Sahel.
His visit came as talks between Libyan rivals were set to restart Friday evening in Bouznika, near Rabat, according to a Moroccan official.
Esper on Friday signed a 10-year military cooperation deal with Rabat, two days after signing a similar deal in Tunisia.
"Now more than ever, our two nations are working closely together to tackle the challenges of the increasingly complex security environment, ranging from counterterrorism and other transnational threats to regional instability and broader strategic challenges," he said before the signing.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita hailed the deal as "reaffirm(ing) clearly that our alliance is strong and here to stay", citing major challenges including "terrorism, violent extremism and all kinds of separatism".
During his visit, Esper also met army chief Abdelfattah Louarak and the minister in charge of defense administration, Abdellatif Loudiyi.
The goal of his visit was to reinforce cooperation between the United States and Morocco, which already hosts the largest annual US joint military exercise in Africa, "African Lion" -- although this was cancelled this year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The US is Morocco's top arms supplier, selling it combat aircraft, ships, tanks and armored vehicles.
Esper also signed a 10-year military cooperation deal with Tunis on Wednesday, hailing their collaboration over the conflict in Libya.
In a speech at an American war cemetery in Carthage, he accused US rivals China and Russia of using "malign, coercive, and predatory behavior" to undermine African institutions and expand their "authoritarian influence".
