Morocco and Russia deepen their strategic partnership

Morocco and Russia reaffirm their strategic relationship amid shifting global dynamics.

According to pro-Rabat Yabiladi, the foreign Ministers of Morocco and Russia met on October 16^th in Moscow. “This meeting is part of the ongoing strategic partnership established between His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, and President Vladimir Putin in March 2016,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans living abroad in a statement.

Both ministers apparently “expressed satisfaction with the quality of their exchanges and the dynamic dialogue and cooperation that characterize Moroccan-Russian relations.”

Following their talks, Nasser Bourita and Sergey Lavrov signed a memorandum of understanding, which established a Russian-Moroccan working committee between their respective foreign ministries. This new body will reportedly assess the bilateral partnership, propose areas of high-value cooperation, and oversee the implementation of agreed-upon initiatives.

The outlet claims that the two ministers also agreed to maintain strong political dialogue and ensure joint follow-up on ongoing projects to inject new momentum into the strategic partnership between Rabat and Moscow.

During his opening remarks, Bourita stated “We consider Russia a close and dear partner. We see it as a serious actor on the international stage, and above all, as and honest and trustworthy negotiator.”

For his part, Lavrov emphasised that Russia attached “particular importance to today’s discussio

ns, given the challenging international situation, especially the complex developments in North Africa.” He added that Russia was ready to contribute to resolving regional crises “alongside other interested states.”

As reported by Maghrebi, the Russian-Moroccan relationship has been on a stark rise ever since EU sanctions, for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, led them to pivot to the North African market.

Russia has had its hand dipped into Africa for a long time, attempting to combat western influence in the region and establish themselves a key power in the continent. The Sahel has already seen Wagner mercenaries help with the ongoing jihadist situation.

Yabiladi, Maghrebi