«Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke by phone with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita at the latter's initiative», wrote the Russia Foreign Ministry in a communiqué issued Tuesday, November 26. During this phone call, the two diplomats «discussed the practical factors of the development of multifaceted bilateral ties, including the convocation of the eighth meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Moscow», the same statement indicated. Moreover, Lavrov told his Moroccan counterpart that his country is committed to «promote [Morocco and Russia's] political dialogue regarding the main international and regional topics, in particular, the settlement plan for Western Sahara». On October 30 at the United Nations Security Council, Russia abstained when other members voted for resolution 2494. Putin's country did not invite the Polisario to the first Russia-Africa summit in Sochi and did not receive M'Hamed Khaddad, the Front's envoy. On the sidelines of the Sochi conference, Morocco has granted Russia the construction of a refinery in Nador whose estimated cost is 2 billion euros.
