Morocco did not attend the BRICS-Africa Outreach meeting that was held in Johannesburg on August 22-24 for a number of reasons, Morocco’s Ambassador to South Africa Youssef Amrani said in an interview with South Africa’s SABC News, tweeted the Ambassador on Tuesday.
The principal reason he gave was that the meeting “was not a BRICS meeting,” but rather had been convened by S. Africa in a unilateral decision, and Morocco “had not been consulted.”
Amrani suggested that it would have been appropriate for S. Africa to consult with Morocco in advance “on the outcome and objective of the meeting” so that Morocco would have an understanding of the scope of the meeting.
The Ambassador stated that Morocco’s decision not to attend does not mean that Morocco is distancing itself from the group. The Kingdom has significant ties as well as strategic partnerships with its members and has relationships through other organizations like the African Union and the UN.
Amrani also clarified, contrary to reports, that Morocco has never applied to be a member of the BRICS union. He affirmed, however, that Morocco is of course interested in the group’s vision and its development and “will follow all the developments and practices of BRICS.”
When asked about Morocco’s seemingly strained relations with S. Africa, he noted that Morocco and S. Africa have historical ties, regardless of the disagreement on certain important issues such as the Moroccan Sahara, but that Morocco seeks to “open the dialogue and to strengthen” economic ties and political relations with South Africa.
Amrani noted that the two countries in the north and south of Africa are important for the continent’s prosperity, leading their regions with their strong democratic roots and strong economic development.
The most important thing for Africa, the Ambassador stated, is to build a strong continent despite ideological differences. “We need to sit down together, talk to together, in order to build a safe and prosperous Africa, with shared values and with consultations,” he said.
When asked about a statement published in the Moroccan media suggesting that S. Africa had “a hidden agenda” in calling the BRICS outreach meeting, the Ambassador responded that BRICS should stick to its original mission and ambition, which is “to reform the international system, . . . to create jobs, to promote stability, and to promote peace.” BRICS should not be addressing issues that are dealt with in other fora” such as the UNSC (Sahara issue) or African Union (Sahel or South Sudan). BRICS, he suggested, is not an appropriate forum for such divisive issues.
Morocco’s priority, he emphasized, is to “build a safe Africa, a stable Africa, where our women and our young generation can find jobs and create prosperity.”
He concluded, “The most important thing for us is to create unity, to work with our partners in order to reform. And we need to be united, we need to work together in order to move forward.”