Miller Hull

Washington – The laying of the foundation stone for the new US Consulate General in Casablanca is the “latest manifestation of lasting friendship and strategic partnership” between the United States and Morocco, the US State Department said Thursday.

In a statement, the State Department’s spokesperson’s office said the new US Consulate General will provide a “secure and resilient platform for US diplomacy in Morocco”.

During a ceremony for the laying of the first stone of the new headquarters, the American ambassador in Rabat, David T. Fischer, affirmed that “the United States is banking on the future of Casablanca as a regional hub in the fields of business, commerce, culture and travel, as HM King Mohammed VI’s project to make Morocco the gateway to Africa materializes ”.

The new Consulate headquarters, designed by the Seattle architectural firm Miller Hull, will be built within the new urban center Casa-Anfa, for an overall budget of $ 300 million.

Composed of several buildings and green spaces, this complex, which will be delivered by 2024, will occupy a total area of ​​2.8 hectares, with a design that combines contemporary American style with the many historical influences of Morocco.

As part of this project, “some 100 million dollars will be invested in the local economy and a workforce of more than 500 Americans, Moroccans, and third-country nationals, will be employed during construction”, underlines the statement of the State Department.

The ceremony for the laying of the first stone of the new headquarters took place in the presence of the Wali of the Casablanca – Settat region, Said Ahmidouch, of the Consul General of the United States in Casablanca, Jennifer Rasamimanana, of the director of protocol at the ministry of Foreign Affairs, African cooperation and Moroccans living abroad, Ambassador Anas Khales, the mayor of Casablanca, Abdelaziz El Omari and the governor of Hay Hassani, Khadija Benchouikh.

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