Russia and Morocco sign agreements to inaugurate military and security cooperation

On Wednesday 11, the two governments of Russia and Morocco signed agreements in the capital Rabat to start cooperation in military, security, economic and political sectors.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony in Rabat, attended by Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani, during an official visit by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to the country, which started yesterday and will last for two days.

At a news conference he held with Othmani after signing the agreements, Medvedev said that “relations between Russia and Morocco have entered a new phase since the last visit of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to Moscow in March 2016.”

He added: “Morocco remains our strategic partner in the Arab world and Africa in general.”

The Russian prime minister stressed his country’s intention to increase its investments in Morocco and develop its economic relations with the Kingdom, especially in the sectors of agriculture, energy and natural gas.

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He noted out that the two countries seek to make efforts to strengthen trade relations and pave new pathways in these relations.

From his part, the Moroccan prime minister said his country is “optimistic about the new dynamic of relations with Russia.”

Othmani added:

We are convinced that cooperation with Russia will contribute to enhancing stability and moving forward in preserving the interests of the two countries in a framework of solidarity and understanding that is based on mutual respect and preserving regional security.

He described the visit of the Russian prime minister to Morocco as “a historic moment in the development of relations between the two countries.” He stressed that the visit will leave the door wide open for military and security cooperation between the two countries.

He noted that Rabat intends to develop bilateral relations with Moscow in the fields of energy, industry, agriculture and priority sectors.

The agreements that have been signed today between Russia and Morocco are meant to strengthen cooperation in military, security, diplomatic and administrative fields in addition to the sectors of agriculture, customs, trade, culture, energy and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

It is noteworthy that the volume of Moroccan trade with Russia rose from about 200 million dollars in 2001 to 2.5 billion dollars last year.

In 2016, Russia was ranked ninth in the list of exporting countries to the Kingdom of Morocco, and ranked 22nd among importing countries.