Moroccan, Russian PMs meet in Rabat, ink 11 agreements

By Mohamed Tahiri

RABAT

The Moroccan and Russian prime ministers on Wednesday signed 11 agreements in capital Rabat aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, military and security arenas.

“Russia and Morocco have entered a new phase of relations since [Moroccan] King Mohammed VI’s visit to Moscow last year,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a signing ceremony also attended by his Moroccan counterpart, Saadeddin al-Othmani.

“Morocco remains our strategic partner, both in the Arab world and in Africa,” said Medvedev, who arrived in Rabat on Tuesday for a two-day official visit.

The Russian premier also stressed his country's desire to increase its investment portfolio in Morocco and to step up its economic relations with Rabat, especially in the energy and agriculture sectors.

Al-Othmani, for his part, voiced optimism about the “new dynamism” characterizing Morocco-Russia relations.

“Cooperation with Russia will lead to the enhancement of regional stability and the advancement of both countries’ interests,” he said.

He went on to describe Medvedev’s visit as a “watershed” in the two countries’ relations, which, he asserted, would “pave the way for stepped-up military and security cooperation”.

Rabat, al-Othmani declared, also hoped to enhance its relations with Moscow in the industrial, agricultural and energy sectors.

Morocco’s total trade volume with Russia rose from some $200 million in 2001 to about $2.5 billion in 2016.

Russia, whose influence in the Middle East has increased in recent years, currently ranks ninth in the world in terms of export sales to Morocco.