Moroccan Head of Government Fatima Zahra Mansouri outlined opportunities for deeper Russia-Africa cooperation in energy, food security, industrialization and technology transfer on Thursday, as she addressed the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on behalf of King Mohammed VI, highlighting Morocco’s Atlantic initiatives and the growing economic ties between Rabat and Moscow.
Speaking at the third Russia-Africa Summit on behalf of King Mohammed VI, Mansouri said the partnership had reached “a new stage, moving from planning to action,” building on cooperation frameworks established at the previous summits in Sochi and St. Petersburg.
“Today, these plans must also be adapted to the priorities of the African continent, namely food security, energy security, industrialization and technology transfer,” she said, urging both sides to concentrate their efforts on those areas in the coming years.
Mansouri said King Mohammed VI had consistently made Africa a central priority of Moroccan foreign policy, citing three major initiatives: the Atlantic African States Initiative, Morocco’s proposal to provide landlocked Sahel countries with access to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline.
She described the projects as instruments for overcoming geographic isolation, developing infrastructure and strengthening economic integration across West Africa.
The Moroccan leader also argued that African countries should remain open to partnerships with different international powers, provided cooperation was based on mutual respect and produced tangible results.
“Is there still a need to emphasize that Africa is not the only one that needs the rest of the world, but that the rest of the world increasingly needs Africa?” she said, pointing to the continent’s natural resources, human capital and strategic location.
Turning to bilateral relations, Mansouri said Morocco ranked among Russia’s three leading economic partners in Africa, with trade reaching $630 million in 2025 and Moroccan exports rising 18%.
She also noted that more than 7,000 Moroccan students attended Russian universities during the 2024–2025 academic year.
“Despite a complex geopolitical context, we can express satisfaction that our exchanges have remained at significant levels,” she said.
Morocco and Russia established a strategic partnership in 2002, later upgraded during King Mohammed VI’s visit to Moscow in 2016.
Mansouri said energy, science and technology offered further opportunities for cooperation, noting that a recently established working committee between the two foreign ministries held its first meeting in September 2026.
The summit comes as Russia seeks to expand its economic relationships across Africa. Mansouri said Russia-Africa trade surpassed $27.7 billion in 2025, while previous summits had established institutional mechanisms and cooperation programmes covering infrastructure, health, education and technology.
“This third summit is not merely an opportunity to celebrate an honourable record,” she said. “It is, above all, an occasion to determine the next steps.”
She reaffirmed Morocco’s willingness to contribute its experience to future initiatives, saying the kingdom was “ready to support this initiative with all the expertise it has accumulated.”
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