Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev will visit Morocco in early October, a day before the RR’s arrival in the kingdom, reports Russian news agency Sputnik.

Svetlana Kovaleva, the director of the business projects of the Russian-Arab Business Council, revealed to Sputnik that Tkachev is due to arrive in Morocco on October 10, meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Aziz Akhannouch.

“That will be a meeting of co-chairs [of the Russian-Moroccan intergovernmental commission on economic and trade cooperation],” said Kovaleva.

Medvedev is expected to arrive in Morocco on October 11. His visit will be marked by the hosting of a Moroccan-Russian business forum in Rabat on October 10 and 11. Preparation for the event is underway in cooperation with the Russian Economic Development Ministry and the Russian Export Center, explained Kovaleva.

In July, Tchakev co-chaired the sixth Mixed Moroccan-Russian Commission for Economic, Scientific, and Technological Cooperation in Moscow.

During the event, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, declared the kingdom’s ambition to become Russia’s major economic Arab and African partner.

“Morocco aspires to be Russia’s major Arab and African [trading] partner. We are ready to put all our efforts to reach that goal. The kingdom also wants Russia to be among the ten major trading partners of Morocco,” said Bourita, noting that the kingdom could be a gateway for Russian investments to West Africa.

Medvedev and Tchakev’s visits to Morocco represent strengthened relations between the two countries following King Mohammed VI’s trip to Moscow in March 2016.

During the King’s visit, a number of agreements were concluded between the two countries. In addition to accords in economic sectors such as natural resources, investment, and marine fishing, the two sides signed an agreement on mutual protection of classified information in the areas of military and military technology.

Source: BNA