In his first round of phone calls to political counterparts around the world, newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to speak with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, on Friday, according to a tweet by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein.
List of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s tentatively scheduled calls leaked to me:
Jan. 22: Netanyahu, MBS
Jan. 23: Qatari PM, UAE Foreign Minister
Jan. 24 on: Jordanian King, Moroccan FM, Egyptian FM— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) January 21, 2025
Rubio is beginning his diplomatic engagements on Wednesday with calls to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
On Thursday, the U.S. Secretary of State will talk with Qatar’s Prime Minister Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani and the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
On Friday, in addition to his call with Bourita, Rubio will speak with King Abdallah II of Jordan and Egypt’s foreign minister Badr Abdel Atty.
Before taking office yesterday, Rubio had cited the United States’ recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara during his confirmation hearing on January 15 before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He also testified to the progress made by Morocco, which he considers a key ally of the United States. “If you look at West Africa, there are real opportunities there . . . , not just on counterterrorism but on economic progress,” he told the Committee. “I look in the north to Morocco, another place where we have already seen substantial improvements because of the [Abraham] accords [and] phase two of that relationship that continues to build.”