Morocco misses two conferences to support Ukraine against Russia and continues its neutral diplomacy

This week, the Kingdom of Morocco was absent from two international meetings supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia, which suggests “Rabat’s steadfastness in its neutral position in this long war, and also to protect its interests with the Eastern bloc.”

The final list of countries participating in the international peace conference for Ukraine, held in Switzerland, included up to 100 countries, of which the Kingdom of Morocco was absent, amid questions from international reports about “the feasibility of the conference without the presence of Russia and China.”

The Swiss Foreign Ministry said that the event, which began yesterday, Saturday, and ends today, Sunday, “aims to develop a common understanding of the path towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” adding that “160 countries around the world have been invited to attend the conference.”

Clarification of the Embassy of Ukraine in Rabat

According to the communications officer at the Kiev Embassy in Rabat, who spoke to Hespress, the invitation was sent to the Kingdom of Morocco, but it did not “provide a response about its acceptance to participate in this conference,” so it was absent from it along with 59 countries around the world, the most important of which are Russia and China, as they are the most important actors from the Eastern bloc. In this crisis.

Rabat was also absent from the G7 summit held in Italy, in the presence of three countries from the Maghreb region: Mauritania, Tunisia and Algeria. The latter attended despite being an ally of Russia.

According to Reuters, the final statement stipulated that “the leaders participating in the summit will stand behind Ukraine in its war against Russia, and rebuild it as long as necessary, while providing a loan worth $50 billion.”

This loan, according to other international media outlets, including the German News Agency and Bloomberg, “results from the use of frozen Russian assets, and Kiev will direct it to strengthen its military capabilities.”

Kiev’s ambassador to Rabat, Sergei Sayenko, said, “The restoration of the rules-based international order cannot be achieved unless the efforts of all peace-supporting countries in the world are united, so that Ukraine needs a strong voice from all continents in favor of a just peace, through participation in the peace summit in “Ukraine.”

Sainko added, in a statement to Hespress, that Switzerland provides this platform to demonstrate the international community’s clear commitment to appropriate principles and values, and that more than a hundred countries attended it, pointing out that the success of the summit and the global presence in this event “represent a clear message that the world does not support war.” He wants peace, and for this reason I consider it necessary for all countries from all continents, which respect the Charter of the United Nations, the United Nations Organization and international law, to participate in the summit,” he said.

The Ukrainian diplomat continued, saying: “We are grateful for the ideas that are consistent with the points of peace in Ukraine during the conference, and showing global unity in favor of such peace is the only option to secure it,” without revealing his opinion about “Rabat’s non-participation.”

Maintaining relations with Russia

This coincides with the contents and phrases that King Mohammed VI addressed this week to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, on the occasion of the Russian National Day, in which he said: “I take this opportunity to confirm to Your Excellency my keenness to continue working together with you in order to move forward in strengthening cooperation relations.” “The constructive bilateral relationship between our two countries will consolidate the strategic partnership that brings them together and serve the common interests of our two friendly peoples.”

In an attempt to explain the Moroccan absence from the two aforementioned conferences, Mohamed Bentalha Doukkali, professor of international relations at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakesh, said, “Rabat does not seek to attend international conferences without being a strong actor.”

Bentalha added, in a statement to Hespress, that Rabat avoids “furnishing seats” in international meetings, and its absence from the Swiss conference and the G7 summit is due to “its desire to maintain its balanced positions on the war in Ukraine.”

Nasser Bourita, the Moroccan Foreign Minister, had previously confirmed, in a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dimitri Kuliba, Rabat’s position on the war in Ukraine, which is “to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states of the nations.”

Bentalha stated that Morocco “is influential in international decisions, and its absence this week is a clear Moroccan desire for Rabat to be on the same page, and not on the sidelines as some of the neighboring countries that participated in the G7 summit.”

Accordingly, the specialist in international relations confirmed that the Kingdom of Morocco “has interests with Russia and China, as well as with the Eastern bloc, and maintains that without reservation,” as he put it.

It is worth noting that during the G7 Summit, which was attended by Mauritania, Tunisia, and Algeria, Hespress was unable to confirm the existence of an Italian invitation extended to the Kingdom of Morocco to attend.