By Enyichukwu Enemanna
State news agency MAP on Saturday said Morocco has not formally submitted an application to join the membership of BRICS bloc, and will equally not be part of a summit organised by the bloc in Johannesburg, South Africa next week.
Citing an unnamed diplomatic source, MAP denied a statement by South Africa’s foreign minister Anil Sooklal, who said earlier this month that Morocco was among the nations seeking to obtain membership of the bloc.
“South Africa allowed itself to speak about Morocco’s ties with the BRICS without prior consultation,” it said.
The group of major emerging economies has as members Brazil, Russia, India, China and the summit host, South Africa.
At least 40 countries have indicated interest to join the bloc, whose formal request will be discussed at the summit in South Africa next week.
South Africa is believed to be offering diplomatic support for the Algeria-backed Polisario front, which seeks to establish an independent state in Western Sahara, a territory Morocco considers as its own.
This has strained strained relations between the two countries.
Morocco would not attend the BRICS meeting in South Africa, MAP said, adding: “South Africa has in fact always shown a primary hostility towards Morocco and has systematically taken negative and dogmatic positions on the Moroccan Sahara issue.”
Morocco is attached to a non-divisive multilateralism and has good ties with the rest of BRICS member states, it said.
