Morocco calls for Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum to become effective, active strategic dialogue

Morocco has pleaded from Marrakech on Wednesday to make of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum a frame for effective and active strategic dialogue and for practical and fruitful partnership and for the creation of an “Economic and Cultural Forum” to go beyond the logic of classic diplomatic dialogue, towards innovative and concrete models of collaboration.

The plea was made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita, at the opening of the 6th Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum, held in Marrakech with the participation of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Secretary-General of the Arab League Houssam Zaki, and ministerial delegations from various Arab states.

“We aspire to elevate this forum to the level of an effective and active Arab-Russian strategic dialogue, which is a genuine space for coordination and constructive, practical and fruitful partnership capable of serving the interests of both parties in a balanced way and contributing to the security and stability of our Arab region,” stressed Bourita.
The Foreign Minister, who is chairing the proceedings of this 6th session of the forum, underlined that the foundations of this partnership should be mutual respect and shared responsibility, and that it is “a singular partnership in terms of content and open in terms of governance, with solidarity as the watchword and respect for commitments as the principle.”

Likewise, the Minister said, this partnership must reconcile the preservation of political and economic interests, on the one hand, and consider the reality of the partners, as well as their potential and aspirations, on the other.

In this respect, Bourita called for a collective reflection aimed at defining a roadmap for a successful and active partnership that takes into consideration the framework governing cooperation between the two parties, to move from the classic model of political dialogue to that of strategic dialogue, according to a proactive vision that takes into account global and regional developments and common interests.

He noted that this partnership should also consider the opening up to economic and cultural bodies and players through the creation of an “Economic and Cultural Forum”, following the example of the Russia-Africa Cooperation Forum, so as to go beyond the logic of classic diplomatic dialogue, towards innovative and concrete models of collaboration.

He also stressed the need to reconsider the frequency of Forum meetings, to ensure proper preparation and sufficient time to implement the joint action plan, in coordination with stakeholders in the member states. It is also a question, he continued, of benefiting from the experiences and best practices of regional partnerships, notably the Russia-Islamic World International Forum and the Russia-Africa Cooperation Forum.

The Minister also pointed out that the Russian-Arab Forum is being held against a backdrop marked by the continuing wave of armed violence in the Gaza Strip, with thousands of civilian casualties, destruction, and total blockade.

In this context, Bourita reiterated King Mohammed VI’s call, in his capacity as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, for collective action, each from its own position, to bring about de-escalation to achieve a lasting and verifiable ceasefire, ensure the protection of civilians, allow for the steady delivery of humanitarian aid, in sufficient quantities, to the inhabitants of Gaza. The Sovereign has also called for a political perspective to be fostered on the Palestinian question, in order to relaunch the two-state solution, Bourita recalled.

 

The Minister said that the King has repeatedly stressed that there is no alternative to genuine peace in the region, a peace guaranteeing Palestinians’ legitimate rights within the framework of a two-state solution and an independent Palestinian state with East Al-Quds as its capital. The Sovereign likewise stressed that there is no alternative to strengthening the Palestinian Authority, under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen, and setting up sustainable regional security mechanisms based on respect for international law and recognized international references.

Regarding the Libyan crisis, Bourita expressed hope that the political process in this country would be completed as soon as possible by the Libyan brothers themselves, through the holding of elections on the set date, free from outside influence and interference. This would mark the start of a new phase in this brotherly country, based on stability, legality and meeting the needs of the Libyan people.

“We also hope that the situation will stabilize throughout the Arab world, with dialogue and peaceful initiatives prevailing,” he noted.

Based on the Russian Federation’s position in the international community, and given its active regional role and close relations with the Arab world, “we see Russia as a partner capable of playing a constructive role in resolving these issues, in accordance with the principles of effective solidarity and positive influence,” said Bourita.

“The time has come to adopt a different approach in dealing with the issues and concerns of the Arab world, an approach capable of meeting the current challenges facing the Arab region, and enabling us to deal with the Arab countries as a coherent influential bloc at the regional and international levels,” he pointed out.

The Minister also stressed that the Kingdom sees the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum as an extension of the historic relations between Morocco and Russia, which have been rooted for more than two centuries and have always been marked by dialogue, cooperation, and mutual esteem and respect, recalling that these relations have undergone a qualitative leap following the two official visits made by His Majesty the King to the Russian Federation in 2002 and 2016, the last of which was crowned by the signing of the Declaration of Strategic Partnership that laid new foundations for bilateral relations.

While the Kingdom of Morocco occupies third place among Russia’s five most important trading partners in Africa, this ranking remains “below our ambition and our desire to raise the strategic partnership to higher levels with broader prospects,” the Minister said, explaining that the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening this forum at all levels reflects its desire to further develop its multidimensional relations with the Russian Federation.

The Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum is a regional meeting held at foreign ministers’ level. Over the past few years, the significance of this Forum has grown as a platform for exchanging views and coordinating positions on various regional and international issues, as it takes into consideration the interests and priorities that bind the Arab and Russian parties in the realms of politics, economics, and trade.