Rabat – India’s foreign ministry has officially acknowledged the unilateral character of the invitations extended by South Africa for the upcoming “BRICS/Africa” meeting, slated to take place on August 24th in Johannesburg.
In an official statement, the Indian government clarified that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will participate in the “BRICS/Africa” meeting, a gathering that will involve various other participants, all of whom have been “invited by South Africa.”
Modi will attend the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa between August 22 and 24.
An authorized source within Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated on Saturday that the initiative behind the “BRICS/Africa” meeting originated unilaterally from the South African government.
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The same source emphasized that Morocco had never contemplated a positive response to the invitation for the “BRICS/Africa” meeting, regardless of the level of engagement.
In addition, the source confirmed that Morocco indeed maintains important and promising bilateral relations with the other four members of the group, three of which have strategic partnership agreements with Morocco.
However, the kingdom has not officially applied to join the BRICS group.
Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, engaged in phone talks with his Indian counterpart Subramaniam Jaishankar, on Sunday.
The conversation focused on celebrating the substantial bilateral relationship between the two nations while exploring avenues to further enhance their collaboration.
The camaraderie between Morocco and India, fostered through their strategic partnership, was at the heart of the discussion.
The roots of the partnership date back to the landmark visit of King Mohammed VI to India in November 2015. Both ministers hailed the depth of their strategic partnership and its multifaceted nature, which encompasses economic, political, cultural, and diplomatic dimensions.
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A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the ministers’ shared commitment to elevating bilateral relations to new heights of ambition.
The discussions centered on identifying innovative mechanisms and opportunities to expand cooperation across various sectors, from trade and investment to science and technology, with the aim of generating mutually beneficial outcomes for both nations.
The telephone call was not limited to bilateral matters, as Bourita and Jaishankar delved into regional and international issues of shared concern.
The statement highlighted Morocco’s interactions with the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), a consortium of major emerging economies. The dialogue emphasized Morocco’s strategic positioning on the global stage and its multifaceted engagements with diverse international partners.
