Western Sahara: Russia acted against the expansion of MINURSO’s mandate to include human rights (Morocco Leaks)

Tags : #Western_Sahara #Russia #Morocco #MINURSO #UNO #Security_Council #bilateral_relations #human_rights

Summary

The relationship is grounded in the 2002 Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed by King Mohammed VI and President Vladimir Putin. This framework transformed the bilateral tie into a structured cooperation, later reinforced by President Putin’s 2006 visit to Morocco.

1. Political & Diplomatic Synergy

• High-Level Dialogue: Characterized by frequent ministerial visits and the exchange of royal/presidential messages.
• National Issue (Western Sahara): Russia maintains a position of « positive neutrality. » It supports a UN-led, mutually acceptable political solution and has never recognized the « SADR. » Notably, Russia opposes the expansion of MINURSO’s mandate to include human rights, arguing this should be handled by other UN bodies.
• Reciprocal Support: The two nations actively coordinate in international forums, notably supporting each other’s candidacies for the UN Human Rights Council and the International Court of Justice.

2. Economic & Trade Leadership

• Trade Growth: Bilateral trade reached $2.3 billion in 2013, making Morocco Russia’s top trading partner in both Africa and the Arab world.
• Institutional Framework: Economic ties are managed via a Joint Intergovernmental Commission and a Moroccan-Russian Business Council.
• Key Sector Success: Recent business forums have led to direct partnerships between regional chambers of commerce and specialized associations (e.g., ASMEX and the Council of Muftis of Russia).

3. Military & Parliamentary Cooperation

• Defense: Formalized through 2012 agreements on technical and military cooperation, supported by a Joint Military Commission.
• Parliamentary: Sustained through a dedicated Parliamentary Friendship Group (2011–2016) and legislative exchanges.

Document Nr 1 : Evolution of Russia’s Position on the Moroccan Sahara Issue

Russia’s position on the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara can be analyzed through three main periods: from 1975 to 2000; from 2000 to 2006; and from 2007 to 2014.

1. From 1975 to 1998: Ideological Support for Self-Determination

• The former USSR adopted a position more favorable to the theses of Algeria and the Polisario Front, as its approach to the Sahara issue was shaped by geostrategic considerations dictated by Cold War logic.
• The USSR’s support for self-determination in the Sahara, both at the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, was consistent with its role as leader of the movement for the emancipation of colonized peoples.
• Nevertheless, the USSR maintained a reasonable distance from the regional dispute, avoiding excessive involvement that could undermine its relations with Morocco.

2. From 1998 to 2006: Support for UN Efforts Toward a Mutually Acceptable Political Solution

• Following the collapse of the USSR, the new Russian Federation was forced into geostrategic retrenchment on the international stage due to the enormous political, economic, social, financial, and military costs of disintegration.
• In this context, Moscow’s influence within the United Nations, particularly in the Security Council, declined, while it continued to safeguard its core interests.
• At the UN General Assembly, resolutions on the Sahara were adopted without a vote during this period, except in 2004 and 2006, when Russia voted in favor, despite Morocco’s call for abstention.
• At the Security Council level, all resolutions were adopted by consensus except resolutions 1282 (1999) and 1301 (2000), which established the impracticability of implementing the settlement plan due to fundamental disagreements between the parties.
• Russia’s favorable vote on all resolutions during this period demonstrates its support for UN-led efforts to reach a definitive and mutually acceptable political solution.

3. From 2007 to 2014: Positive Neutrality and Support for the Negotiation Process

• Russia’s attitude during this period can be characterized as one of positive neutrality during Security Council deliberations on the Sahara issue.
• During the vote on Resolution 1813, Russia played a key role in preserving the UN’s involvement through MINURSO, opposing any reference to human rights, a stance strongly criticized by Costa Rica’s representative.
• On April 30, 2008, Costa Rica’s representative stated that Russia had threatened to use a technical veto against any mention of human rights.
• During the vote on Resolution 1871 (2009), the Russian representative affirmed that Russia’s position remained unchanged, supporting a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable settlement based on Security Council resolutions and the consent of the parties.
• Russia’s balanced and constructive stance was particularly evident during the adoption of Resolution 1920, when opponents of Morocco’s territorial integrity strongly advocated for expanding MINURSO’s mandate to include human rights.
• Russia emphasized that the adopted resolution struck a fair balance between the parties’ interests and would help advance the settlement process under UN auspices.

4. General Assessments

• Russia has never recognized the so-called “SADR”, despite Algerian pressure during the Cold War.
• This consistent position reflects Moscow’s sense of responsibility, moderation, and commitment to maintaining positive relations with Morocco.
• Russia opposes any imposed solution and stresses the need for a durable, mutually acceptable outcome achieved through negotiations under UN auspices.
• Despite tensions related to the Syrian issue in 2012, Russia refrained from taking retaliatory positions that could harm Morocco’s interests on the Sahara issue.
• Russia played a key role in preventing references to human rights in several Security Council resolutions.

5. Proposed Actions

• Strengthen and diversify areas of cooperation and coordination with Moscow.
• Upgrade the 2002 strategic partnership into a structured strategic dialogue, including a consultation mechanism on multilateral issues.
• Explore opportunities to enhance multilateral cooperation between Rabat and Moscow within international organizations on non-controversial issues.

Document 2 : MOROCCO – RUSSIA

Political Relations

The official visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the Russian Federation in October 2002, followed by that of President Putin to Morocco in September 2006, gave a new impetus to Moroccan-Russian bilateral relations and strengthened the bonds of cooperation between the two countries.

The Declaration on Strategic Partnership, signed in Moscow in October 2002 by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and President Vladimir Putin, constitutes a genuine action program for strengthening bilateral relations and has opened broad perspectives for their development. Political dialogue is characterized by frequent exchanges of visits by senior officials from both countries.

1. Political Dialogue:

Political dialogue is marked by frequent exchanges of visits. In the recent period, the following meetings have taken place:

• June 28, 2013: Visit to Moscow by Dr. Saad Dine EL OTMANI, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
• April 18, 2013: Visit to Moscow by a high-level Moroccan delegation to deliver a message from His Majesty the King to President Putin.
• January 31, 2013: Visit to Morocco by the Special Envoy of the Russian President, Mr. Mikhail MARGELOV, bearing a message from President Putin to His Majesty the King.
• April 17-19, 2012: Visit to Moscow by Dr. Saad Dine EL OTMANI, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
• March 9, 2012: Visit to Morocco by the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mikhail BOGDANOV.
• September 18-19, 2011: Visit to Morocco by the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Special Envoy of the Russian President, Mr. Mikhail MARGELOV.
• September 27, 2011: Meeting between Mr. FASSI FIHRI, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Mr. Sergey LAVROV, on the sidelines of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly.
• February 2011: Meeting between Mr. FASSI FIHRI, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Mr. Alexander KONOVALOV, Russian Minister of Justice and Co-chair of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission.
• November 22, 2005: Visit to Morocco by the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sergey LAVROV.
• January 30, 2002: Visit to Moscow by Mr. Mohamed BENAISSA, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
• April 3, 2002: Visit to Rabat by Mr. Igor IVANOV, then Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

National Issue

The position of the Russian Federation is outlined as follows:

• Russia supports the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy.
• It favors a political solution mutually acceptable to both parties.
• It also supports the negotiation process between Morocco and the Polisario. It considers that the issue of human rights should not be discussed within the Security Council, as there are other UN bodies authorized for these matters.
• It favors the centrality of negotiations.
• It describes the Moroccan approach as « appreciable. »
• Russia has never recognized the pseudo « SADR, » despite the pressures exerted by Algiers during the Cold War.
• Russia is, after France, the second-largest contributor of military observers to MINURSO (currently 17 observers).

Reciprocal Support

• Reciprocal support between Morocco and Russia within UN bodies is characterized by good cooperation.
• Morocco and Russia supported each other during the 68th UN General Assembly in November 2013 for their candidacies to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2014–2016 period.
• Russia also requested Morocco’s support for its candidacy for re-election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2017–2019 period.
• For its part, Morocco requested Russia’s support for the candidacy for the re-election of Judge Mr. Mohammed BENNOUNA to the International Court of Justice for the 2015-2024 period.
• Furthermore, Morocco supported Russia on the resolution regarding the « integrity of the judicial system » adopted by the Human Rights Council at its 25th session.

Military Cooperation

• Two agreements were signed on February 9, 2012, in Moscow, regarding technical cooperation and military cooperation.
• A Joint Military Commission was created, the 1st session of which took place on September 5 and 6, 2012.
• A delegation from the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, led by Deputy Director Petukhov Mikhail Vladimirovich, visited Morocco for the first time in September 2012.

Parliamentary Cooperation

• Parliamentary cooperation is limited to exchanges of visits between deputies.
• The House of Representatives renewed the constitution of the Moroccan-Russian Parliamentary Friendship Group for the 2011-2016 period.

Economic, Trade, and Cultural Relations

• Commercial relations have experienced significant development thanks to the signing of the 2002 Strategic Partnership Declaration, as evidenced by the increase in trade volume which reached $2.3 billion in 2013.
• Since 2013, Morocco has become Russia’s leading trade partner in Africa and the Arab world.

Joint Intergovernmental Commission:

• The Russian side appointed the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Nikolay FEDOROV, as Co-chair of the Russian-Moroccan Joint Intergovernmental Commission.
• As a reminder, this commission is co-chaired on the Moroccan side by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
• The 4th Session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission took place in Moscow on June 15 and 16, 2010. The 5th session is scheduled to be held this year in Rabat.

Moroccan-Russian Business Council:

The Moroccan-Russian Business Council organized a business forum in December 2013 in Casablanca. A delegation of more than 40 Russian businessmen participated, chaired by Mr. Yuri Sharov (Co-Chairman of the Council) and Mr. Stanislav Yankovets (Director General of the Arab-Russian Business Council).

This visit culminated in the signing of a memorandum between the Chambers of Commerce of Lipetsk and Rabat, and a convention between ASMEX and the Council of Muftis of Russia.

Mission of Moroccan Businessmen to Moscow and Saint Petersburg

A mission of Moroccan businessmen from the agri-food sector, led by Maroc Export, visited Moscow and Saint Petersburg from March 15 to 21, 2013. This 3rd edition of the Business to Business (B2B) mission provided an opportunity for Moroccan businessmen to assess the state of trade with Russia, discuss solutions to overcome trade barriers, and forge partnerships with their Russian counterparts.

A prospecting mission by the Direction of Maroc Export was held in Moscow from April 27 to 29, 2014. The goal of this visit was to meet major players in the Russian retail sector to propose a B2C (Business to Consumer) promotional operation for listing Moroccan agri-food products (fresh and processed) and seafood products to further promote them.

There is strong cooperation between the two countries in the field of food safety. The results for 2013 were positive, with $440 million in Moroccan exports and 130 companies authorized to export to Russia.

Tourism

The year 2005 was marked by Morocco’s decision to cancel visa requirements for Russian nationals. Effective since June 2005, this decision helped develop Russian tourism to Morocco. A cooperation agreement in the field of tourism was signed between the two countries during President Putin’s visit to Morocco in September 2006.

The number of Russian tourists in Morocco rose from 9,000 in 2005 to 45,000 in 2012—a substantial and progressive increase. however, it remains well below those recorded by competing countries such as Turkey (2.5 million) and Egypt (1.5 million), and falls short of the ambitions of tourism operators on both sides.

Maritime Fisheries

• The 1st Fisheries Agreement expired on June 3, 2012.
• A new fisheries agreement was signed in Agadir on February 14, 2013, during the Halieutis Salon. Under this agreement:
  • A fleet of 10 fishing vessels is authorized to operate in Moroccan waters.
  • The catch quota is set at 100,000 tons of small pelagic species for the 1st year; for subsequent years, the quota will be determined by the Moroccan side.
  • Authorized fishing zone: South Atlantic of Morocco.
  • Annual financial compensation is set at $5 million, in addition to annual fees paid by Russian shipowners.
• The first session of the Joint Maritime Fisheries Commission took place in Kaliningrad, Russia (June 2013), and the second in Agadir (April 2014), co-chaired by the Moroccan Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch, and Mr. Ilya Shestakov, Head of the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency.
• Russian authorities subject Moroccan fishery products to strict veterinary and phytosanitary controls and standards compliance prior to any export to the Russian market.
• The Russian side requested a quota increase to 160,000 tons for the second year. The Moroccan side maintained the quota at 100,000 tons, as the global Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the fishery remained unchanged.

Transport

• Royal Air Maroc (RAM) opened an air link between Casablanca and Moscow on March 15, 2011, initially with three flights per week, increasing to four flights in March 2012.
• A draft Agreement on Air Services is pending signature.
• A commercial shipping line between Morocco and Russia was inaugurated in January 2011 between Agadir and Saint Petersburg. This line has reduced transport costs and strengthened the competitiveness of Moroccan products in Russia.

Cooperation in Oil and Gas

Russia is Morocco’s 3rd largest energy supplier (after Saudi Arabia and Iraq), supplying Morocco (Urals grade) through intermediaries like Total, Shell, and Glencore. Direct supply of hydrocarbons to the Moroccan market is currently under study. In May 2013, Mr. Yuri Shafranik (Chairman of the Union of Oil & Gas Producers of Russia) stated that Russia wishes to invest in Morocco in oil exploration, electricity, and gas.

Cultural Cooperation

Regulated by the 2006 agreement, approximately 3,500 Moroccan students study in Russia, primarily in medical and paramedical disciplines. Morocco ranks third after India and China. For the 2013-2014 year, 10 state scholarships were offered by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.

Communication Cooperation

During a visit to Moscow in May 2014, the Moroccan Minister of Communication, Mr. Mustafa El Khalfi, agreed with his counterpart to:

• Sign protocols on mass communication and television cooperation.
• Reactivate cooperation between MAP (Maghreb Arabe Presse) and ITAR-TASS.
• Strengthen cinematographic co-production by 2015 to improve mutual cultural understanding.

Legal Framework

The legal framework is extensive, crowned by the 2002 Strategic Partnership.

• Signed Agreements: Tourism, transfer of sentenced persons, communication, plant quarantine (2006); Military and technical cooperation (2012); Fisheries (2013).
• Pending/Under Negotiation: Air transport, investment protection, and extradition.
• In Preparation: A Memorandum of Understanding between the Moroccan Academy of Diplomatic Studies (AMED) and the Russian Diplomatic Academy, and new agreements on mass communication and television.