Rabat – Russia’s Prime Minister is expected to pay an official visit to Morocco in 2017, Sputnik reported on Saturday.
The date for the visit has not been set yet, according to Morocco’s Ambassador to Moscow Abdelkader Lecheheb, who noted that the date would be decided as soon as the Moroccan government is formed.
“The visit of Mr. Medvedev to Morocco is expected this year,” Lacheheb said. “There is no specific date, because there is no government [in Morocco].”
Government
For four months Morocco has been without a government. Since his appointment as Head of Government on October 10th, Abdelilah Benkirane’s negotiations with the party leaders to form a coalition government have reached a standstill.
Talks ended when Benkirane issued a communiqué entitled “Talks are over,” saying his negotiations with both Aziz Akhannouch, Secretary General of the National Rally of Independents Party (RNI) and Mohand Laenser, Secretary-General of the Popular Movement (MP), had ended.
Morocco and Russia
Following King Mohammed’s visit to Moscow in March 2016, Morocco and Russia’s relationship found itself upgraded significantly. Russia reiterated its commitment to give serious consideration to Morocco’s position on the Sahara conflict.
After the King’s visit, a Russian representative called it a “diplomatic revolution that heralds a new era in relations between the two countries.”
In December 2016, King Mohammed VI received Russian politician, security, and intelligence officer Nikolai Patrushev in Casablanca to discuss Counter-Terrorism security strategies between the two countries.
Regarding the economy, Russia is also one of Morocco’s most important allies, with nearly 15% of all agri-food exports going to the Eurasian country.
