Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, took part in a meeting of African foreign ministers in Moscow on Wednesday, as Russia prepares to host the third Russia-Africa Summit.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chaired the meeting, which brought together foreign ministers from African countries that are members of the United Nations, according to a statement from Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Bourita held a one-on-one meeting with Lavrov. The Moroccan ministry did not provide further details about the discussions.
Bourita’s visit comes as Morocco and Russia continue diplomatic engagement and seek to strengthen their bilateral ties. The two countries signed a Declaration on Enhanced Strategic Partnership in 2016, during King Mohammed VI’s visit to Moscow.
Both countries have since maintained high-level diplomatic contacts, including discussions on trade, regional security, and international issues.
The meeting also comes at a critical moment for Morocco’s diplomacy on Western Sahara, as the UN Security Council prepares to vote on a new resolution concerning the territory and the future of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
The Council is expected to vote before the mission’s current mandate expires on October 31.
The United States has drafted a new resolution that would strengthen the plan’s position in the UN-led political process.
The US has circulated a revised draft resolution that retains a proposal to rename the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) as the United Nations Mission for Western Sahara (MINUSO), removing the reference to a referendum.
It also keeps Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the sole basis for negotiations. However, the revised draft reportedly drops the initial proposal to end the mission’s peacekeeping mandate in April 2027 and reduce its uniformed personnel by at least half, leaving decisions on the mission’s future for further consideration.
Russia’s position is particularly important because it is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds veto power. Moscow abstained from the vote on Resolution 2797 in October 2025, which extended MINURSO’s mandate for another year and supported negotiations based on Morocco’s autonomy proposal.
The draft comes as Russia’s position remains uncertain. Although Lavrov said in October 2025 that Morocco’s autonomy plan could offer a successful solution if accepted by the parties and supervised by the United Nations, Moscow has continued to describe its approach as balanced.
Morocco’s latest diplomatic engagement with Russia therefore comes at a sensitive moment, with the outcome of the upcoming Security Council vote potentially shaping the next phase of the Western Sahara dispute.
