Moroccan Head of Government Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri represented King Mohammed VI at the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, marking her first official foreign visit since becoming Morocco's first woman head of government. El Mansouri emphasized that Africa remains a top priority in Morocco's foreign policy. She highlighted several royal initiatives aimed at strengthening regional integration, improving infrastructure, and supporting economic development across the continent. These initiatives include the Atlantic African States Initiative and the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic African Gas Pipeline project.
El Mansouri called for stronger cooperation between Russia and African countries, stressing the importance of turning existing agreements into concrete projects that address the continent's needs. She described the Russia-Africa partnership as entering a new phase, moving from planning toward implementation. Previous summits established the foundations for cooperation, but the next step should focus on delivering results. El Mansouri said Morocco supports cooperation that complements other initiatives, respects mutual interests, and produces tangible results.
The Moroccan official highlighted Africa's growing importance to the rest of the world due to its natural resources, young population, geographical position, and historical and cultural diversity. El Mansouri stated that Africa is not the only one that needs the rest of the world; the rest of the world increasingly needs Africa. She noted that trade between Russia and African countries exceeded $27.7 billion in 2025.
El Mansouri also highlighted the long-standing relations between Morocco and Russia, which have strengthened since they established a strategic partnership in 2002. The relationship developed further during King Mohammed VI's visit to Moscow in 2016, when the two countries upgraded their ties to a reinforced strategic partnership. Trade between Morocco and Russia reached $630 million in 2025, with Moroccan exports to Russia increasing by 18%.
The two countries maintain educational ties, with more than 7,000 Moroccan students studying in Russia during the 2024-2025 academic year. El Mansouri expressed satisfaction with the significant levels of exchanges between Morocco and Russia, despite a complex geopolitical context. She added that energy, science, and technology offer further opportunities for cooperation.
As part of these efforts, the foreign ministries of Morocco and Russia recently established a working committee that held its first meeting in September 2026. El Mansouri hopes to use the summit to open new avenues for practical cooperation and strengthen political dialogue with Moscow. The third Russia-Africa Summit builds on previous efforts to strengthen political dialogue and expand cooperation in various sectors.
El Mansouri said Morocco remains committed to the partnership and is ready to contribute its experience to developing new areas of cooperation. She called for future cooperation to reflect Africa's priorities, particularly food security, energy security, industrial development, and technology transfer. The summit aims to respond more directly to the development priorities of African countries.
Key points
- Morocco's Head of Government Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri emphasizes Africa's importance in Morocco's foreign policy at the Russia-Africa Summit.
- El Mansouri calls for stronger cooperation between Russia and African countries, focusing on concrete projects that address the continent's needs.
- Trade between Morocco and Russia reached $630 million in 2025, with educational ties between the two countries also growing.
