Fez- A report released by the Washington Post this week revealed that the Moroccan government is one of the leading foreign governments investing millions of dollars into developing relations within the United States government by lobbying members of Congress.
In 2013, Morocco was the sixth leading country, following nations like the UAE and Germany, to spend money to influence American decision-makers. Last year, Morocco looked to hire lobbyists, at a stiff rate, to represent their interests in Washington D.C.
Morocco spent close to $4 million in 2013 to sway American policy makers in the inner circle according to the Washington Post. By law, foreign lobbying disclosures require nations to record who they contact and why. One reason that governments, like Morocco, may opt for paid PR could be to make up for weaker links that the country has in their diplomatic ties with the US.
Another reason that encourages countries to seek paid diplomatic assistance could be to put more pressure on policy makers in regard to hot-button issues pertaining to a country's foreign interests or issues involving the international community. For Morocco, one of the main aims of lobbyists is to focus on persuading American congressmen to support them on the question of the "Western Sahara."
Foreign lobbying clients for Morocco include the Moroccan National Tourist Office Headquarter in Morocco which spent nearly $1 million on lobbying in 2013. Meanwhile, the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco (GOM) handed out over $ 3,3 million to lobbyists in 2013 with the aim to, “counsel the principal on US policies of concern… and maintain contact, as necessary, with the members of Congress and their staff, executive branch officials and non-governmental organizations,” according to a report by the financial data-tracking tool, Foreign Influence Explorer.
These lobbying clients maintain contact with and seek to appeal to officials in the US government. Last year, more than 900 names appeared on the list of contacts for Moroccan lobbying firms. Names on the list include US Senators that sit on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Representatives from the House Intelligence Committee as well as a slew of other officials from the US Department of State, the White House, the US Consulate in Casablanca, together with hundreds of press contacts within the US media.
The purpose of sustaining such close relations with these members of the US government is reportedly to discuss, “US-Morocco relations and the importance of Morocco's relations with US Congress,” as well as to organize “telephone conferences regarding trying to set up visits on Capitol Hill for Sahrawi human rights witnesses,” according to Foreign Influence Explorer.
The Moroccan lobbyist teams work to provide direction to their contacts in the US government on topics such as the State Department Report on Western Sahara. The lobbyists also meet with US officials to discuss strategic counsel to the GOM on their bilateral relations with the United States. The lobbyists work to brief members and staff of the US Congress on “issues related to US-Morocco relations, to include: General Moroccan-American relations, Political reform and human rights developments in Morocco, US assistance issues related to Morocco, Morocco's role in the Middle East Peace Process, Developments in North Africa, and Morocco and the Western Sahara,” according to the report.
Among foreign clients lobbying on behalf of the Moroccan government there is the Moroccan American Center For Policy, The Gabriel Company, LLC, and Gerson Global Strategic Advisors LLC. A detailed list of the 2013 foreign agents that represent Morocco can be found on the Foreign Influence Explorer site.
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