250 years later, America’s ties to its first and oldest friend are getting even stronger

In 1777, Morocco became the first nation to recognize the United States. I was reminded of that history not in a textbook, but in the Pentagon, seated across from senior American defense officials, as our two countries recently concluded a new 10-year Defense Cooperation Roadmap. In that room, the past did not feel ceremonial — it felt active.

From April 14 to 16, acting on Instructions from His Majesty King Mohammed VI, a Moroccan delegation took part in the Morocco-U.S. Defense Consultative Committee here in Washington. The meetings were detailed and forward-looking. They were not about preserving a relationship for history’s sake. They were about preparing it for the next decade.

The roadmap we concluded, covering 2026 to 2036, expands cooperation in defense industry development, cybersecurity, advanced technologies, and deeper operational integration. It gives structure to what has already become one of the most reliable defense partnerships the U.S. has on the African continent.

A framework, of course, is only as strong as its implementation and both sides left the Session understanding that the work ahead is harder than the signing. Under Secretary Elbridge Colby captured that spirit at the signing: “This roadmap will guide our historic defense relationship for the next decade, building on a partnership that began 250 years ago when Morocco was the first nation to recognize the United States.” That sentence stayed with me because, later, I stood before the document that began it all.

During the same visit, our delegation went to the U.S. National Archives to view the 1786 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Morocco........

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