Rabat, May 20, 2026 – The Europe Today: Russia has appointed veteran diplomat Igor Beliaev as its new ambassador to Morocco, replacing Vladimir Baibakov, according to a decree published on the Russian government’s official website.
Beliaev previously served as Russia’s ambassador to Algeria from 2017 to 2022, a period during which Moscow maintained close strategic ties with Algiers.
Born in 1967, the newly appointed envoy is a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He began his diplomatic career in the same year, serving in various positions within the central office of Russia’s Foreign Ministry and at diplomatic missions abroad.
Between 2003 and 2009, Beliaev worked as counselor and first counselor at the Russian Embassy in Syria. From 2009 to 2017, he held senior positions at the Russian Foreign Ministry, including head of division and deputy director of the department responsible for the Middle East and North Africa region.
Since 2022, he has served as deputy director of the Ministry’s Department for the Middle East and North Africa.
The appointment comes as Russia continues efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with Morocco across multiple sectors, including agriculture, fisheries and political cooperation.
According to former ambassador Baibakov, trade between Moscow and Rabat has remained stable at approximately $2 billion despite Western sanctions imposed on Russia. He previously attributed the resilience in trade relations to increasing Russian business interest in the Moroccan market and expanding bilateral cooperation.
Despite growing cooperation, the two countries continue to hold differing positions on the issue of Western Sahara.
Earlier this year, Russia’s ambassador to Algeria, Alexy Solomatin, reiterated Moscow’s position regarding the dispute following Russia’s abstention during the United Nations Security Council vote on Resolution 2797 in October last year.
The resolution endorsed Morocco’s autonomy initiative as a framework for resolving the Western Sahara dispute. Russia’s abstention drew criticism from the Polisario Front and its supporters.
Solomatin stated that Russia’s position remains unchanged, emphasizing that the issue should be resolved through political means in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and in a manner acceptable to all concerned parties.
