Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, held official talks today, Thursday, in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, within the framework of the deep strategic partnership between Morocco and Russia, established under the guidance of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and President Vladimir Putin in March 2016.
During the meeting, both ministers emphasized the momentum imparted by the two leaders to this partnership, praising the level of dialogue and the dynamic nature of Moroccan-Russian relations, and reaffirmed their joint will to elevate these relations to higher levels that match the countries’ capabilities.
The discussions included ways to develop bilateral relations by fully utilizing both countries’ potential and strengthening historical friendship and fruitful cooperation. The ministers signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Moroccan-Russian working committee between their foreign ministries, tasked with evaluating the partnership’s achievements and formulating proposals to define new high-value cooperation areas to deepen bilateral relations and anticipate their future.
The two sides also agreed to establish a regular political dialogue and ensure joint follow-up on signed agreements to give new momentum to cooperation and the strategic partnership. The talks also addressed regional and international issues of mutual interest, particularly in North Africa, the Sahel region, and the Middle East.
These discussions are part of ongoing communication between the two ministers, whether in Morocco, Russia, or on the sidelines of UN meetings. During his visit to Moscow, Bourita will co-chair with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev the eighth session of the Joint Committee for Cooperation between the two countries.
It is worth noting that Moroccan-Russian relations have witnessed significant development since His Majesty King Mohammed VI ascended the throne, with reciprocal visits including two of the King to Moscow in October 2002 and March 2016, and an official visit of President Putin to Morocco in September 2006, resulting in the establishment of a strategic partnership and later a deep strategic partnership.
