US President Donald Trump, bestowed a rare award on Morocco king as his administration rallied international support in a regional dispute.
Trump last month broke decades of precedent by recognising Morocco’s full sovereignty over contested Western Sahara, with Morocco in turn saying it would normalise relations with the Jewish state.
The White House said it presented King Mohammed VI with the Legion of Merit, degree of Chief Commander, five days before Trump’s departure in a private ceremony in Washington in which Morocco’s ambassador accepted.
The military award was created to honour allied leaders in World War II and had gone into obscurity until it was revived by Trump, who last month also presented it to the prime ministers of Australia, India and Japan.
“His vision and personal courage — including his decision to resume ties with the State of Israel — have positively reshaped the landscape of the Middle East and North Africa and ushered in a new era of security and prosperity for both our countries and the world,” a White House statement said.
The State Department’s top official on the Middle East, David Schenker, on Friday joined Morocco in a virtual conference on Western Sahara that highlighted Trump’s position.
Forty nations participated with 27 at the ministerial level, a joint statement said. “Participants committed to continue their advocacy for a solution, using Morocco’s autonomy plan as the sole framework for resolving the Western Sahara dispute,” it said.- AFP
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