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Russia, Morocco sign statement on closer strategic partnership

The two countries also inked a convention on extradition

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, March 15. /TASS/. Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and King of Morocco Mohammed VI on Tuesday yielded seven documents, including a statement on closer strategic partnership.

Other documents include a Russian-Moroccan statement on countering international terrorism, intergovernmental agreements on air service, on cooperation in the area of environment protection and rational use of natural resources, on cooperation in the area of sea fisheries, on encouraging and mutual protection of investments, on mutual protection of classified information in the military and military technical spheres. Russia and Morocco also inked a convention on extradition.

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Apart from that, the sides signed memorandums on mutual understanding between the energy ministries and on energy cooperation, on mutual understanding between the Russian ministry of natural resources and Morocco’s ministry of energy, mines, water and environment, on cooperation in the area of geological prospecting and development of mineral resources, on mutual understanding between Russia’s federal service for veterinary and phytosanitary control and Morocco’s national food safety office in the area of phytosanitary control of plant products.

Other documents signed by the sides are a memorandum of understanding understanding between Russia’s federal service for veterinary and phytosanitary control and Morocco’s national food safety office on cooperation of veterinary control; a program of joint actions for 2016-2018 to implement the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the sphere of tourism; a memorandum of understanding in the Islamic sphere between the Russian Council of Muftis and Morocco’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs; a framework agreement on partnership between the Moscow Kremlin Museums and Morocco’s National Foundation of Museums; a framework agreement on cooperation between Russia’s State Hermitage and Morocco’s National Foundation of Museums.

The Moroccan king’s visit also yielded a draft protocol between Russian and Moroccan customs services on exchange of preliminary information on commodity and transport vehicles moving between Russia and Morocco.

Russia and Morocco intend to cooperate on LNG supply, gas infrastructure, exploration of hydrocarbons and the construction of power generation, according to a statement.

"The Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Morocco will strengthen bilateral cooperation in energy sector, including supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG), creation of gas infrastructure, exploration of hydrocarbons, construction and operation of power generation as well as renewable resources," the document says.

In 2015, head of the Federation Council (upper chamber of the Russian parliament) Valentina Matviyenko said that Russian business is interested in expanding its presence on the energy market of Morocco. According to her, one of Russian companies was considering participation in exploration of oil deposits in Morocco. Besides that Gazprom offered its participation in developing the national gas infrastructure in Morocco. Matvienko also mentioned a possibility of supplying liquefied natural gas, oil and petroleum products to Morocco.

Russia to take part in UN climate change conference in Morocco in November

Russia will take part in the 22nd Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change due to be held in Morocco’s Marrakesh in November 2016, according to a statement on closer strategic partnership between the two countries signed on Tuesday..

"Both sides welcome international efforts to prevent global climate change and once again reiterate their readiness to promote these efforts," the document says.

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Foreign policy Cooperation Morocco

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