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President-elect Donald Trump nominated Florida Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State on Wednesday, a role similar to that of a foreign minister in Morocco. This appointment, if approved by the Senate, would be welcome news in Rabat.
In North Africa, Rubio, a senior member of both the Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees and former political rival, has long been viewed as an ally of Morocco.
Known for his bold foreign policy positions, Rubio has been consistently critical of China, Russia, and even Algeria. In 2022, he sent a letter to then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken, calling for sanctions against Algeria, which he described as Russia's largest military partner.
In his letter, the Florida senator expressed «great concern regarding the ongoing defense procurement between the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria and the Russian Federation».
Sanctions against Algeria for being a top purchaser of Russian arms
Citing the U.S. Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a federal law that authorizes the U.S. President to impose sanctions on «parties engaged in significant transactions with representatives of the defense or intelligence sectors of the Government of the Russian Federation», Rubio urged the Secretary of State to impose similar sanctions on Algeria.
Rubio justified his stance by stating, «Algeria is among the top four purchasers of Russian arms worldwide, culminating in a $7 billion arms deal in 2021». «The influx of money from any source to Russia will only further enable Russia’s war machine in Ukraine. Yet, sanctions available to you have not yet been utilized». he argued.
Rubio’s letter to the U.S. Department of State regarding Algeria did not go unnoticed. It prompted other U.S. senators, both Republicans and Democrats, to urge the Biden administration, in a another letter back in 2022, to apply sanctions on Algeria under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
On other regional issues, Rubio is also known for his strong stance against Iran and has previously expressed opposition to a ceasefire in Gaza.
