The legal framework and sectors in which Morocco and Russia can collaborate were the focus of the preparatory meeting of the 8th session of the Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, held Wednesday via video-conference.
“The objective today is to work to complete the legal framework and explore sectors in which Morocco and Russia can collaborate,” Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, told the press following remote meeting with Russian Minister of Agriculture, Dmitry Patrushev, in their capacity as co-chairs of the Joint Commission.
Referring to the royal visits of HM King Mohammed VI to Moscow in 2002 and 2016, Morocco’s FM noted that the relationship between the two countries has “greatly evolved”. Morocco is now the second Arab economic partner of Russia and its third economic partner on the African scale, he said.
According to Bourita, there is still work to be done at the level of traditional sectors such as agriculture to export more, especially through the green corridor which facilitates access of Moroccan agricultural products to the Russian market.
“There is also a will to develop Russian investment in Morocco, which remains weak,” he added, stressing the need to develop the areas of scientific research and training, among many others.
“Russia has begun to work on the African continent where Morocco enjoys a historic presence,” the minister said on the occasion of this meeting held in preparation for the Joint Commission, which has been postponed given the current situation marked by the spread of Covid-19.
“It is, therefore, a matter of how we can contribute, as economic partners, to the development of the African continent,” Bourita added.
These are the main topics to be addressed by the five working groups who took part in Wednesday’s meeting.
The two parties agreed to hold the Joint Commission in parallel with an Investment Forum that will focus on strengthening Russian investment in Morocco.
“It will also be an opportunity to sign the agreements concluded and eliminate all factors that slow down the development of trade between the two countries,” Bourita concluded.
The preparatory meeting, which discussed the state of progress of the strategic partnership between the two countries, is part of the diversification of partnerships called for by HM the king and within the framework of the royal ambition regarding the Morocco-Russia strategic partnership.
This preparatory meeting took place in the presence of the heads of the five working groups on Agriculture, Industry, Energy, Transport in addition to Customs Cooperation.
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