Rabat denies recalling Riyadh, UAE envoys

Morocco has dismissed as rumours reports it recalled its ambassadors to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

“The reports are baseless and lack credibility,” Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said, stressing that no Moroccan official has made such a statement.

Morocco, throughout its long diplomatic history, has proper channels to make such announcements and does not rely on news agencies, he reportedly said.

On Thursday, a news agency quoted a Moroccan official that it did not identify as saying that “Morocco recalled its ambassador to Saudi Arabia for consultations.”

The officials also reportedly said that “Morocco has stopped taking part in military action with the Saudiled coalition in Yemen’s war.”

‘Irresponsible allegations’

Bourita’s statement is perceived as a reminder that relations between Morocco and Saudi Arabia and between Rabat and the UAE were much more robust than “irresponsible allegations.” A diplomatic source informed the Saudi daily Al Sharq Al Awsat the presence of the Moroccan ambassador to the UAE in Rabat since last week was due to administrative protocols that required him to be physically there.

“His presence currently in Rabat is not linked to the relations between Morocco and the UAE or to any form of tension between the two countries. There are purely administrative reasons for his presence in Morocco,” the source was quoted as saying.

Bourita’s statement has put the matter within its natural perspectives and context and bypasses the “mad dance” by those who are trying to fuel discord and undermine the historical, fraternal and mutually supportive ties between Rabat and Riyadh on the one hand, and Rabat and UAE on the other, the source added.