Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will host his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita for talks in Moscow on October 16, with the Middle East situation expected to dominate their discussions. The meeting comes as the first phase of the US-proposed Gaza peace plan enters implementation.
Beyond Middle Eastern settlement prospects, the ministers will address stabilization efforts in North Africa and the Sahara-Sahel region, alongside bilateral cooperation. Moscow anticipates Bourita's visit will "further strengthen multidimensional partnership with Morocco and enhance joint efforts to establish lasting peace and stability in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahara-Sahel," according to a ministry statement.
Focus on Gaza
Notably, Bourita is among the first Arab diplomats to visit Moscow following the postponed Russia-Arab summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the summit's postponement to avoid disrupting Middle East peace efforts. Since then, Israel and Hamas have ceased hostilities and conducted hostage exchanges, though certain complex issues remain unresolved — what Lavrov has described as “fragile formulations” in the Gaza plan. Particularly pressing is the Palestinian statehood issue, which the Russian minister insists should be addressed immediately after initial agreements are implemented. This and other aspects of Palestinian-Israeli settlement will likely feature prominently in the ministers' exchange.
The diplomats are also expected to discuss the rescheduling of the Russia-Arab summit, which Lavrov recently confirmed will take place once new dates are determined, with draft documents reportedly near completion.
Bilateral Agenda
Alongside regional and global issues, the ministers will address substantial bilateral matters. This marks their first meeting since September discussions during the UN General Assembly, where they covered numerous practical aspects of enhancing traditionally friendly Russian-Moroccan relations across political, trade, and economic spheres.
The current Moscow negotiations promise equal substance, as Bourita also visits in his capacity as co-chair of the Russian-Moroccan Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation, attending its eighth regular session.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS