What can U.S. ‘strategic dialogues’ bring to the Maghreb?

United States Secretary of State John Kerry recently announced the
launch of a U.S.-Tunisia “strategic dialogue” next April. This third
“dialogue” of its kind with a Maghreb country illustrates the growing
U.S. attention to the region. But what can it bring?

Strategic dialogues reflect an enhanced relationship.

Ellen
Laipson, president of the Washington-based Stimson Center, told Al
Arabiya News, the purpose of such dialogues is “to elevate a
relationship beyond the purely bilateral” and give cooperation a
“broader geographic basis.” As they look at “the long term,” these
dialogues “are meant to show a commitment and an expectation that this
relationship has value to both parties over time.”

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