Days after blocking a US-drafted resolution on Western Sahara at the United Nations Security Council, Russia struck a markedly different tone toward Rabat. Russian Ambassador to Morocco Igor Belyaev extended his country’s congratulations to the Kingdom on the occasion of Unity Day, during a reception held Wednesday at the Russian embassy to mark Russia’s own National Unity Day, observed in Moscow every November 4.
Addressing guests at the embassy, the ambassador said the coincidence of the two celebrations reflects, in both nations, the cohesion and unity of their peoples. He noted that Morocco had just marked the first anniversary of its own Unity Day, a holiday established after the Security Council adopted Resolution 2797 in 2025.
Belyaev added that 2026 carries particular weight for bilateral relations, falling on the tenth anniversary of the joint declaration on deepening the strategic partnership that King Mohammed VI and President Vladimir Putin signed in Moscow in 2016. He pointed to continued cooperation across political dialogue, trade, education, culture and tourism.
The ambassador described Morocco as an important and reliable partner for Russia in Africa. He welcomed the Moroccan delegation led by Head of Government Fatima Zahra Mansouri at the Third Russia-Africa Summit held in Moscow this year, noting that her trip, her first foreign visit since taking office, signals Rabat’s interest in deepening the relationship. He also cited figures underscoring the depth of ties: more than 4,000 Moroccan students studied in Russia during the 2024-2025 academic year, while Russian tourists made roughly 27,700 trips to Morocco in 2025, a 39.6 percent increase.
The warm message, however, comes against a tense diplomatic backdrop on the Western Sahara file. Russia had, only days earlier, exercised its Security Council veto against a US-backed draft resolution, a move that resulted in the non-renewal of MINURSO’s mandate. Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Rabat had been aware of the move in advance and viewed it as an opportunity to shift how the dispute is managed going forward, rather than as a setback for the kingdom’s position.
