The Kingdom of Morocco has never submitted a formal application to join the BRICS (a bloc bringing together Russia, China, Brazil, India, and South Africa), a source from the Foreign Affairs Ministry affirmed on Friday.
So far, there are no specific procedures governing the broadening of the grouping, explained the source, adding that Morocco’s future relations with the BRICS will align with the country’s foreign policy as set by King Mohammed VI.
Although Morocco is attached to efficient, solidarity-based multilateralism, it believes that multilateral platforms should not preach schisms or interfere in the domestic affairs of sovereign countries.
Regarding the Kingdom’s participation in the upcoming BRICS meeting scheduled for Aug. 24 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the source clarified that Morocco never accepted the invitation, which did not emanate from the BRICS or the African Union.
“The invitation was unilaterally extended by South Africa, and, against the backdrop of the strained relations with this country, Morocco decided not to respond favorably to it,” it said.
Pretoria has repeatedly taken hostile and negative stances on the Moroccan Sahara, and made malevolent moves within the African Union to undermine the Kingdom’s higher interests, it added.
The meeting’s poor organization and improvisation indicate that it has been handled lightly by South Africa, and might serve some obscure agenda. As a consequence, Morocco discarded from the start the possibility to attend the event, the source concluded.