Morocco is participating in the high-level meeting to launch the US initiative of Global Forum to Prevent Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism, or Global (FTPRNT). At the meeting, held November 13-15 in Bucharest, Romania, by the US State Department and Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Redouane Houssaini, Director of United Nations and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Resident Abroad, highlighted the security challenges facing the international community in the current geopolitical context. This new «Global FTPRNT» initiative, he said, provides an appropriate framework for innovative coordination to prevent and respond to the threats of nuclear and radiological terrorism. Houssaini affirmed that, in light of the serious emerging security challenges facing the African continent, Morocco remains committed to the strategic objectives of combating nuclear terrorism, which advocate a proactive and multidimensional approach, through national measures and contributions to capacity building in African countries, as well as the promotion of sub-regional, regional, and international cooperation. He also stressed the need to adapt our approach to the security threats facing the African continent, particularly in the Sahel region. He highlighted the growing links between terrorist groups and separatist militias, transnational organized crime, and the threat posed by proxies to acquire and divert nuclear, radiological, chemical, and biological materials for criminal and terrorist purposes, as well as the use of new technologies. While welcoming the launch of this American initiative, Houssaini stressed that this framework for cooperation and collaboration must be operational to best meet the expectations of African countries, particularly in terms of capacity building. Morocco considers that the objectives assigned to the «Global FTPRNT» initiative constitute a continuation of the important work already accomplished within the framework of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT), he added, recalling that the Kingdom, one of the founding countries of the GICNT in 2006, has since organized several activities and exercises as chairman of the «Implementation Assessment Group» working group. More than 70 countries took part in the meeting to launch the Global FTPRNT initiative, along with UN agencies such as the United Nations Office on Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In addition to Houssaini, the Moroccan delegation at this meeting includes Morocco's ambassador to Bucharest, Hassan Abouyoub, as well as officials from the Ministry of the Interior and the General Directorate of National Security.
