The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Mr. Duke Buchan III as the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco.
Buchan’s nomination was first announced last March by President Donald Trump, who emphasized that the new U.S. Ambassador to Morocco “will play a key role as we strengthen peace, freedom, and prosperity for both our nations.”
During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 29, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador underlined that the Kingdom of Morocco represents “a pillar of stability,” thanks to its strategic location which makes it “essential” to U.S. national security.
He pledged to further strengthen the “longstanding relationship” between Washington and Rabat in the field of security in the face of “shared challenges,” recalling that Morocco is one of the United States’ oldest partners.
“Our Treaty of Peace and Friendship dates back to 1786. For nearly 240 years, our bilateral relations have made both Americans and Moroccans safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” he said.
The new ambassador also described Morocco as “a model economic partner,” noting that the United States and the Kingdom maintain strong trade relations.
In this regard, he called for promoting American investment opportunities “throughout the Kingdom, where the United States can bring advanced technology to support Morocco’s ambitions in developing its technology, transportation, agriculture, and energy sectors.”
The new ambassador also reiterated the U.S. position, reaffirmed last April 8 by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara and supporting “Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic Autonomy Proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute” over the Moroccan Sahara.
He added that the U.S. Secretary of State also reiterated President Donald Trump’s call for the parties to “engage without delay in negotiations, using Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal as the sole framework, in order to reach a mutually acceptable solution.”
In this respect, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador expressed his commitment to “facilitating progress toward that goal.”
Mr. Buchan’s confirmation by the Senate also comes a day after the U.S. government announced that the United States encourages American investments in Morocco’s Southern Provinces.
Duke Buchan III previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra (2017–2021).
Born in North Carolina in 1963, he has built a long career in the fields of investment and finance.
