THE AFRICA TIMES | MOROCCO —
Morocco and Russia have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation. This announcement came during the 8th session of the Moroccan-Russian Joint Governmental Committee. The meeting occurred in Moscow on Friday.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, and Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Patrushev, co-chaired the session. The two nations are seeking to deepen their strategic alliance.
Bourita stated that the session presented an opportunity to maximize the potential between both nations. He expressed optimism that this would lead to significant outcomes. These outcomes would reflect the ambitions of King Mohammed VI and President Vladimir Putin.
Enhanced Bilateral Relations
Deeper relations offer cooperation potential in several sectors. These include trade, tourism, energy, education, and technical collaboration.
Bourita noted that bilateral ties have grown since King Mohammed VI’s 2016 visit to Moscow. That visit initiated an advanced partnership, yielding positive results.
This year’s meeting occurs as Morocco and Russia prepare for the 10th anniversary of their Deep Strategic Partnership Declaration. Signed in 2016, this partnership highlights mutual respect between both leaders.
Meeting Details and Outcomes
Both parties assessed recent progress and explored avenues for enhanced cooperation. A large Moroccan ministerial delegation attended, representing key sectors such as agriculture and energy. Other sectors represented include industry, transport, customs, education, and culture.
Morocco and Russia formalized their commitment by signing three new cooperation agreements. These included an agreement on fisheries cooperation.
The nations also agreed to a protocol for exchanging customs documents and data related to the value of traded goods. A protocol involved cooperation and information exchange within the Eurasian Economic Union.
Strategic Partnership
Both sides reaffirmed their dedication to diversifying economic and trade exchanges. They also aim to support investments and develop sectoral cooperation.
Moreover, they agreed to maintain political dialogue and effective follow-up. This is intended to fully realize the potential of their strategic partnership.
Russia’s Position on Western Sahara
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed Moscow’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara this week. Lavrov described the plan as a potential form of self-determination recognized by the United Nations.
Lavrov emphasized the importance of dialogue over unilateral actions. He said Morocco’s initiative could succeed with the agreement of all parties. Furthermore, it must be supervised by the United Nations.
Observers see this shift in Russia’s position as a positive sign for Morocco. This is especially relevant as the United Nations Security Council prepares to discuss the Western Sahara issue. Russia’s backing could influence discussions and other nations’ stances.
