Washington, Dec 10 (PTI) Morocco on Thursday agreed to resume diplomatic relations with Israel, becoming the fourth Arab nation this year to recognise the Jewish-majority state, the White House has announced.

US President Donald Trump spoke to Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Thursday and reaffirmed his country's support to Morocco's "realistic autonomy proposal" for sovereignty over the Western Sahara region.

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King Mohammed VI agreed to resume diplomatic ties between his kingdom and Israel to expand economic and cultural cooperation, which would advance regional stability, the White House said.

Trump reiterated that he, as president, recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory. The Polisario Front -- a Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement -- and the Kingdom of Morocco claim sovereignty over the Western Sahara territory.

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The US-Morocco friendship is rooted in our shared belief in the promise of peace, stability, and economic opportunity and has endured since Morocco became the first country to recognise the United States in 1777, the White House said in a readout of the conversation between the two leaders.

"The President reaffirmed his support for Morocco's serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal as the only basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute over the Western Sahara territory and as such the President recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory,” it said.

The leaders also discussed cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, including ways to minimise its economic impact. They also spoke on critical regional issues of common interest, the White house said.

Morocco has now become the fourth Arab nation to resume ties with Israel. The development comes as the US is expanding the number of countries under the “Abraham Accords”, as part of which the United Arab Emirates and Israel resumed bilateral ties earlier in the year, with a series of trade and technology agreements.

Bahrain and Sudan have followed the UAE, becoming the second and third Arab countries respectively to resume ties with israel.

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