MOROCCO, March 7 - Morocco has asserted itself as a "multipolar power" by deciding not to participate in the vote at the UN General Assembly on the Russia-Ukraine Crisis, said French geopolitical expert Aymeric Chauprade.

"Through this choice, Morocco asserts itself as a power that is in the hands of no one and that wants to speak freely and to whom it wishes," said Chauprade. "This is the definition of a multipolar power."

Furthermore, the geopolitical expert, in his analysis of the UNGA vote, told MAP that "there are major powers or significant emerging countries that abstained or did not participate in the vote [...] apart from Western countries themselves, and small countries aligned with these Western countries."

"In the abstentions, we find China and India, that is to say 1/3 of Humanity, but also Pakistan," he said. In Africa, both South Africa (one of the BRICS) and Senegal abstained, he further noted, adding that, Ethiopia, "which is the African Union's seat," did not take part in the vote either.

From his point of view, these votes express "something strong", namely "the indignation of seeing the world tilt again towards the risk of a world war, but also the desire not to insult the future by not designating the good guys and bad guys in a simplifying manner."

Commenting on the position adopted by Morocco, the geopolitical expert considers that "Rabat plays a diplomacy of appeasement and dialogue, the opposite of the arrogance so shared in the Western world today".

This stance can also be seen "as a position of positive neutrality or simply non-interference in a complex conflict that did not begin on February 24, 2022," he added.

In this context, he emphasized that "Ukraine is a country torn in its identity. Some in the West have a history and a memory turned towards the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and therefore the European Union today. While others feel fraternally linked to Russia, whose Empire extended over a large part of the current Ukraine and Belarus as well", explained the French geopolitologist.

According to him, the position of Morocco on the Russia-Ukraine conflict will not change the strength of its historical and multidimensional strategic alliances with the U.S. and the EU.

"Morocco is a partner and ally of the United States and the European Union, its history proves it, but it is a state that has also become a form of balance power and multipolar power," said the geopolitical expert.

"[Morocco's] position is also very intelligent because it does not provide a pretext for Algeria to try to create a dangerous Algiers-Moscow alliance that could bring the Russian fleet in Algiers in addition to the current Russian facilities in the eastern Mediterranean," he said.

"This Moroccan position is visionary: it translates perhaps the direct comprehension of the direction that History takes: Russia is perhaps in the process of reconstituting, with Ukraine and Belarus, the Great Russia; it is perhaps in the process of trying its reunification".

MAP 03 March 2022