US, Morocco Hold Conference on Cybersecurity

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Jennifer Bachus (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Jennifer Bachus (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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US, Morocco Hold Conference on Cybersecurity

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Jennifer Bachus (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Jennifer Bachus (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The US aims to be a key partner in consolidating Morocco's position as a regional leader in cybersecurity, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jennifer Bachus has announced.

At its Dar America cultural center, the US Consulate General in Casablanca hosted a conference with Bachus on cybersecurity and cyber diplomacy, along with Moroccan Masters and Doctorate students from the Ben M'sik and Ain Chock Faculties of Sciences.

The conference was part of Bachus's official visit to Morocco from December 6 to 8.

Morocco is making great strides in digital transformation, and the United States is eager to support the Kingdom in its vision to become a regional leader in the tech space," Bachus said.

The official noted Morocco's progress and expressed Washington's desire to be a key partner in consolidating the Kingdom's position as a regional leader in this area.

"Among the top priorities of the US government, my Bureau is advancing global cyber stability through international partnerships and supporting trusted telecommunications infrastructure, including 5G," she recalled.

A statement from the US mission in Morocco, issued at the end of the meeting, indicated that the US official was impressed by Morocco and expressed Washington's readiness to be a key partner in strengthening Morocco's position as a field leader.

The statement highlighted that the rapid development of information and communications technology has resulted in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence emerging as fundamental pillars of global economic growth.

The US official confirmed that artificial intelligence has imposed itself as a significant driver for stimulating operational efficiency and opening new horizons for innovation, highlighting that integrating artificial intelligence into cybersecurity systems provides essential benefits.

Bachus called for international cooperation and the exchange of expertise to confront the increasing challenges associated with digital security, pointing out that global challenges in cybersecurity and digital policies are increasing significantly.

According to US officials, developing appropriate policies and providing investments in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence enhances economic growth by encouraging innovation, enhancing competitiveness, and enabling an environment for secure exchanges.

Integrating cybersecurity and artificial intelligence paves the way for new economic opportunities and provides innovative solutions to current challenges, ensuring sustainable and flexible economic development.



Italy’s Foreign Minister Heads to Syria to Encourage Post-Assad Transition

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks to the media a he arrives for a meeting at Rome’s Villa Madama, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 on the situation in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini (Andrew Medichini/AP POOL)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks to the media a he arrives for a meeting at Rome’s Villa Madama, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 on the situation in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini (Andrew Medichini/AP POOL)
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Italy’s Foreign Minister Heads to Syria to Encourage Post-Assad Transition

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks to the media a he arrives for a meeting at Rome’s Villa Madama, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 on the situation in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini (Andrew Medichini/AP POOL)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks to the media a he arrives for a meeting at Rome’s Villa Madama, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 on the situation in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini (Andrew Medichini/AP POOL)

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he would travel to Syria on Friday to encourage the country's transition following the ouster of President Bashar Assad by insurgents, and appealed on Europe to review its sanctions on Damascus now that the political situation has changed.
Tajani presided over a meeting in Rome on Thursday of foreign ministry officials from five countries, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States.
The aim, he said, is to coordinate the various post-Assad initiatives, with Italy prepared to make proposals on private investments in health care for the Syrian population.
Going into the meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their European counterparts, Tajani said it was critical that all Syrians be recognized with equal rights. It was a reference to concerns about the rights of Christians and other minorities under Syria’s new de facto authorities of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HT.
“The first messages from Damascus have been positive. That’s why I’m going there tomorrow, to encourage this new phase that will help stabilize the international situation,” Tajani said.
Speaking to reporters, he said the European Union should discuss possible changes to its sanctions on Syria. “It’s an issue that should be discussed because Assad isn’t there anymore, it’s a new situation, and I think that the encouraging signals that are arriving should be further encouraged,” he said.
Syria has been under deeply isolating sanctions by the US, the European Union and others for years as a result of Assad’s brutal response to what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011 and spiraled into civil war.
HTS led a lightning insurgency that ousted Assad on Dec. 8 and ended his family’s decades-long rule. From 2011 until Assad’s downfall, Syria’s uprising and civil war killed an estimated 500,000 people.
The US has gradually lifted some penalties since Assad departed Syria for protection in Russia. The Biden administration in December decided to drop a $10 million bounty it had offered for the capture of a Syrian opposition leader whose forces led the ouster of Assad last month.
Syria’s new leaders also have been urged to respect the rights of minorities and women. Many Syrian Christians, who made up 10% of the population before Syria’s civil war, either fled the country or supported Assad out of fear of insurgents.