Morocco hosts the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum
The 6th edition of the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum has begun in Marrakech, chaired by the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, who took part in the meeting together with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, the Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League, Houssam Zaki, as well as several ministerial delegations from the participating Arab states.
- Morocco and Bahrain reaffirm their strong ties during meeting
- Bahrain reiterates its support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara
ssues related to cooperation between Russia and the Arab world will be discussed. In addition, due to recent developments in the Middle East, the war between Israel and Hamas will also be on the agenda.
In this regard, Russian Minister Lavrov stressed that the priority in the Gaza Strip is to "put an end to the bloodshed and solve humanitarian problems", according to the Russian news agency TASS.
"Our meeting is taking place amid an unprecedented aggravation of the situation in the Middle East and continuing turbulence in the world," said Lavrov, who said there is a need for "a collective approach to addressing tasks related to strengthening peace and security in the region".
However, the Russian-Arab partnership will be the main pillar of the summit, specifically collaboration in various sectors, including economics and trade.
The forum has grown in importance in recent years, establishing itself as a platform for exchanging views and information. It also discusses issues at regional and international level, taking into account the interests and priorities of each of the parties.
🇲🇦🇷🇺| Le Ministre russe des Affaires Étrangères, Sergueï Lavrov, est arrivé à Marrakech pour participer au Forum de Coopération Russie-Monde Arabe. https://t.co/xh94SMbkD8 pic.twitter.com/ChYFaqeU9P
— Morocco Intelligence (@MoroccoIntel) December 20, 2023
Morocco and Bahrain reaffirm their strong ties during meeting
On the occasion of the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani travelled to Marrakech, where he took the opportunity to meet his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita.
On the eve of the sixth session of the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, which begins on Wednesday, the two ministers held a conversation in which they highlighted the "solid collaboration" between the two countries in different sectors, reports Morocco World News.
On the sidelines of the 6th session of the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, MFA Nasser Bourita held talks, today in Marrakech, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.@MoroccoInBHR pic.twitter.com/GtmcbilVKV
— Moroccan Diplomacy 🇲🇦 (@Marocdiplo_EN) December 19, 2023
Bourita and Al Zayani also raised new avenues to enhance and elevate this good bilateral cooperation, stressing their pride in the close and strong ties and solidarity between Morocco and Bahrain, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, respectively.
Bourita reiterated Rabat's firm position to stand by Bahrain and support it against any interference in its internal affairs or attempts to compromise its security, stability and national unity.
Bahrain reiterates its support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara
Bahraini Minister Al Zayani, for his part, reaffirmed Bahrain's support for Morocco's territorial integrity and sovereignty over Western Sahara, underlining in this regard Bahrain's establishment of a consulate general in the southern Moroccan city of Laayoune.
During the meeting, the first session of the joint Moroccan-Bahraini consular committee was also held, and other issues of common interest were discussed, such as the latest developments in the Middle East, the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip and the situation of the Palestinians.
M. Nasser Bourita préside, aujourd’hui à Marrakech, les travaux de la 6ème session du Forum de Coopération Arabo-Russe.
— Maroc Diplomatie 🇲🇦 (@MarocDiplomatie) December 20, 2023
🔗https://t.co/wroCRLrWWH pic.twitter.com/Zuq06Oaueg
In this regard, Bourita and Al Zayani stressed the urgent need for the international community to redouble its efforts to achieve a rapid, comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, as well as the rapid, sufficient and unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid.
These bilateral talks took place on the eve of the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, a regional meeting of Foreign Ministers based on the 2009 Memorandum of Understanding between the Arab League and Russia. Morocco was chosen to host this edition of the forum during the previous session held in Moscow in April 2019.
