Russian news agency Sputnik commented on Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani's meeting with Kosovan delegation in New York, calling it «odd» and «awkward». Russian news agency Sputnik has commented on the controversial meeting that brought together Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani and the Kosovo Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli in New York. In an article published Monday, 1st of October, the agency pinpointed the «mistake» made by El Othmani, stating that «a Prime Minister shouldn't have done that». Sputnik believes that through this meeting Morocco «has crushed its Serbian and Russian partners indirectly». For the record, two weeks ago, Serbia and the Kingdom of Morocco agreed on «strengthening diplomatic relations» during the visit of Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to Belgrade. The Russian agency recalls the awkward situation that occurred last week in the UN, quoting Saadeddine El Othmani's explanations regarding his photo with Behgjet Pacolli. Moreover, in its article the agency focused on Russia's position on the Western Sahara issue. Russia's message to Morocco Sputnik believes that Morocco is in the need of «Russia's positive neutrality (…) for a main reason (…) appointing, in March, John Bolton as the National Security Advisor of the White House is not a thing that should reassure Rabat on the US' unwavering support». Sputnik recalled that what happened last week to the Moroccan Prime Minister «has been highly criticized on social media». For the record, Authenticity and Modernity Party MP Abdellatif Ouahbi addressed an oral question to the Morocco Foreign Minister, asking whether El Othmani's infamous meeting with the Kosovo minister would affect Morocco's international diplomatic relations. Usually in Sputnik, an agency close to the Kremlin, articles of this kind must be taken into consideration. Through this article, the Russian agency is sending a message to Morocco. Rabat's warming diplomatic relations with the Trump administration must also be considered, especially as the US announced that it is interested in backing Morocco's LNG future projects. In October, the Security Council is expected to extend the Minurso's mandate for another six months. The meeting between El Othmani and Behgjet Pacolli did not prevent Nasser Bourita from meeting his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. A meeting marked by the presence of the head of the General Directorate for Studies and Documentation is the external intelligence agency, Yassine Mansouri.
