Florida Senate has adopted a resolution hailing the visionary leadership of King Mohammed VI advancing U.S. African cooperation ties and commended the American recognition of Morocco’s full sovereignty over its entire Saharan territory.
The resolution recognizes the importance of Morocco’s business, trade, and cultural cooperation with the State of Florida and the enduring diplomatic, business, and cultural ties between Morocco and the United States.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries date back more than two centuries to 1777 when Morocco became the first nation to recognize the independence of the United States, later formalized through the 1786 Treaty of Peace and Friendship — one of the oldest unbroken treaties in U.S. diplomatic history.
In December 2020, the Moroccan-American partnership was further strengthened by the U.S. recognition of the full sovereignty of the Kingdom over its Sahara, says the resolution, affirming that the strategic alliance
between the two nations paves the way for a new era of cooperation in peace, security, and regional development,
The Florida Senate resolution pays tribute to the Royal Initiative for Atlantic Cooperation, also known as the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, an ambitious framework enabling Morocco to deepen political, economic, and cultural ties between Africa and the Americas.
The text says Morocco, a strategic hub within the African continent and a committed member of the African Continental Free Trade Area, stands as a vital gateway for enhanced partnership and mutually beneficial trade and investment between Africa and the United States.
In October 2025, the President of the Casablanca Settat region, Abdellatif Maâzouz, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a Sister Cities agreement between the region of Casablanca–Settat and Miami-Dade County, to advance cooperation in trade, investment, innovation, sustainability, and cultural exchange.
In conjunction with this partnership, the Casablanca–Settat Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services, the American Chamber of Commerce in Florida, and CAMACOL (the Latin Chamber of Commerce of the United States) signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding promoting business collaboration, investment opportunities, and private sector exchanges between Morocco and Florida.
Furthermore, the U.S.- Morocco Free Trade Agreement, signed in 2004, the only FTA signed by the United States with an African country, continues to foster economic and commercial cooperation, making Morocco one of America’s key trade partners in Africa and encouraging bilateral investment and industrial collaboration.
In 2002, the Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami-Dade County and the Port of Casablanca signed a Sister Seaports agreement to promote maritime connectivity, logistics cooperation, and exchange of expertise, reinforcing both ports’ strategic roles as gateways for transatlantic trade among North America, Africa, and Europe.
According to the Florida Senate, these partnerships demonstrate Morocco’s leadership in establishing transatlantic cooperation that supports sustainable maritime, economic, and cultural development, while advancing Florida’s global economic engagement.
In this resolution, the State of Florida acknowledges the importance of Morocco as a strategic bridge between Africa, Europe, and the Americas and welcomes deeper cooperation in trade, maritime industries, tourism, green energy, and education.
