HIBAPRESS
Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, affirmed today in Moscow that Morocco and Russia agree that international law and principles cannot be interpreted in a way that obstructs progress towards resolving the Moroccan Sahara issue.
Bourita said in a press conference following his discussions with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that this meeting was an opportunity to address regional and international issues, particularly the Moroccan Sahara file. He added, "We agree that solutions must be in accordance with international law and international principles, but we also agree that these principles cannot be exploited or interpreted in a way that hinders progress towards solutions." After noting that Russia chairs the Security Council for October, which will consider this issue, he highlighted that "the time has come today to take into account the dynamism that the file is witnessing at the international level, thanks to the momentum added by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the changes that have taken place in the positions of a group of countries," stressing that "Russia is a key player in this file as a member of the Group of Friends, as a permanent member of the Security Council and as the current President of the Security Council, and we will continue our discussion on this topic in the coming days." The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates stressed that Morocco considers Russia an important player in the international arena, as a permanent and influential member in a group of international files and issues, highlighting that "the ongoing dialogue between us will have positive results, it is not a dialogue against anyone, but a dialogue to strengthen regional peace and stability." The minister concluded that both Russia and Morocco have a role to play in the Arab region and in Africa, and our dialogue will make us work to bring viewpoints closer and to enhance stability in these two regions." For his part, the Russian Foreign Minister confirmed that the two countries "share the position that these international principles should not be interpreted selectively (…) but should be applied and respected in a comprehensive and interconnected manner."
