Blinken in Morocco amid shifts in Mideast, NAfrica diplomacy

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is calling for the expansion of new, major diplomatic shifts in the Middle East and North Africa that could upend some of the region’s long-standing disputes. Visiting Morocco just a day after an unprecedented meeting in Israel’s Negev Desert with the foreign ministers of four Arab nations that have normalized relations with Israel, Blinken met Tuesday in Rabat with senior Moroccan officials to discuss building on those ties. Later, in talks with the de facto leader of the United Arab Emirates in the Moroccan capital, Blinken spoke of great opportunities and challenges. The UAE recently angered the U.S. by hosting Syrian leader Bashar Assad and has expressed unease with attempts to revive the languishing Iran nuclear deal.