Morocco-Ukraine: New phone talk between Foreign Ministers

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita had this Friday a phone talk with his Ukrainian peer Dmytro Kuleba, the second in a few days, after the one they had on March 22.

The announcement was made in a tweet by the Moroccan Foreign Ministry.

Dmytro Kuleba also spoke about this exchange with Bourita, on his Twitter account, praising the friendly relations binding his country to Morocco, and hoping to see these relations strengthened further in all spheres.

”Ukraine and Morocco enjoy friendly bilateral relations and we look forward to further strengthening them in all spheres, including in food security, boosting trade, and cooperation within international organizations,” Kuleba wrote on his Twitter account, following the phone talk with Bourita.

Analysts in Rabat commented that this phone talk is the proof, if need be, that the decision made Thursday, March 31, by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to recall the Ukrainian ambassador to Morocco, Oksana Vasylieva, was in no way aimed at Morocco.

The Ukrainian President said he signed decrees to recall Ukrainian ambassadors to Georgia and Morocco, because of their inability “to defend the interests of the country”.

In a video posted on Twitter, Volodymyr Zelensky announced the recall of the Ukrainian ambassador to Rabat, as well as the Ukrainian ambassador to Georgia, deeming that the two diplomats are not up to their task, and do not work enough for the interests of Ukraine in time of war.

On Tuesday March 22, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs had phone talks with both his Ukrainian and Russian peers, Dmytro Kuleba and Sergei Lavrov. The talks focused, among other things, on the situation in Ukraine.

As to Morocco’s position vis-à-vis the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed in a press release issued on Feb.26 that “the Kingdom of Morocco reiterates its support for the territorial integrity and national unity of all United Nations member states. The Kingdom of Morocco also recalls its attachment to the principle of non-use of force for the settlement of disputes between States and encourages all initiatives and actions favoring a peaceful settlement of conflicts.”

On March 2, following its non-participation at the UN in the vote on a resolution on the situation between Ukraine and Russia, Morocco indicated that it was “following with concern” the development of the situation and reaffirmed its strong attachment to respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and national unity of all Member States of the United Nations.