Speech by H.E. Mr Hassan ABOUYOUB, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco on the occasion of the Fete du Trone 2024
Mr. Secretary of State,
Honorable Deputies and Senators
Members of the Government and various authorities,
Excellencies and dear colleagues,
Dear friends,
I would like to begin by making a confession to you, by launching the “save the date”, we did not think we would have such a large number of confirmation responses, on the eve of the holidays. The impressive number that you can see at this moment, is the perfect illustration of your esteem for my country and for the exceptional personality of His Majesty the KING.
Thank you with all my heart for your loyalty.
This year, we commemorate the Silver Jubilee of the enthronement of His Majesty Mohamed VI, 23rd King of the Alaouite Dynasty, established in 1659 and which has lasted for 365 years. This Dynasty itself succeeded five others among the most important that reigned since 789, or 1235 years of institutional continuity, without ever losing its sovereignty (even during the French Protectorate). This fact is almost singular, it must be emphasized.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
To take stock of these 25 years of reign exhaustively, seems to me to be a challenge, given its scale and the coverage of almost all aspects of the life of a Nation. I will nevertheless try to outline a summary presentation, without necessarily respecting the chronological order of the reforms and projects carried out:
• At the institutional level, the promulgation of the most advanced Constitution in 2011, anchored the Kingdom in the club of politically advanced countries.
• The adoption of a law on transitional justice supported by the Equity and Reconciliation body closed the chapter of the dark years of our political landscape.
• An economic and social policy promoting inclusion through the national human development initiative, competitiveness through the reform of investment incentives and exceptional development of all basic infrastructure: 2 ports Tangier and Dakhla, highways, the TGV rail network, etc.
• A bold energy policy and an assumed transition that will allow the Kingdom to produce 52% of its electricity from renewable sources, including green hydrogen.
• Completion of the generalized social protection project, which will transform the face of Moroccan society, in particular through the upcoming adoption of a new Family Code that succeeds that of 2003 with greater ambitions on the path to gender equality.
All these reforms and many others have enabled the Kingdom to:
• increase its GDP from $47 billion to $140 billion in 2024, more than triple.
• To develop a new sustainable and resilient development model.
• And to host the next 2030 World Cup jointly with Spain and Portugal.
Excellencies Ladies and Gentlemen,
This summary assessment cannot ignore the diplomatic achievements of the reign of His Majesty Mohamed VI.
These are based on the values and postures of one of the oldest diplomacies in the World (The first Ambassador of the Kingdom in London was appointed in 1588n after the appointment of the British Ambassador in Marrakech, almost ten years earlier. The first country in the world to recognize the USA was Morocco, on December 20, 1777).
This is how Morocco has succeeded in imposing a specific diplomatic footprint based on two components. First, the diversification of its partnerships allowing the kingdom to expand its international economic and commercial exchanges in order to reduce the excessive dependence on Europe.
This strategic choice is desired by King Mohammed VI who has resolutely chosen Africa as an extension of the kingdom, while opening up to Asia, particularly to its leaders China and India. Latin America through Brazil and continental Europe through Russia constitute the other dimensions of this opening.
Within the EU, greater openness towards new members from Central and Eastern Europe is becoming a priority, with Romania occupying a prominent place there.
Then, the development of a proposal for a political solution to the conflict in the Moroccan Sahara, embodied by the autonomy plan proposed in 2007 and widely
supported today by the majority of countries, including world powers such as the United States and France.
Today, Morocco enjoys immense respect for its stability and its commitment to the universal values of freedom, dignity and solidarity. It is in this context that I would like to mention His Majesty’s outstanding role, as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, in supporting a political solution to the Middle East crisis that respects the right of the Palestinians to enjoy an independent state in accordance with international legality and the principle of self-determination. His constant call for a immediate end to the war in Gaza and humanitarian support commensurate with the immense suffering of the Gazans.
I could also cite, in no particular order, the Kingdom’s significant contribution to the UN peacekeeping mechanism, its condemnation of all forms of violence, particularly those that undermine the territorial integrity of members of the international community, and its concern to prioritize all forms of dialogue in the service of peace and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
I will conclude this speech with a brief overview of our bilateral relations with our friend Romania. These are excellent at all levels. Thus, political consultations are taking place at their regular pace and are giving our relations continued impetus.
The upcoming visit of Minister Luminita Odobescu to Rabat will confirm the strategic level of our relationship.
We are delighted with the signing of the Defense Cooperation Agreement and the prospects it opens up in terms of training, exchanges of expertise and common security.
In the education and university cooperation sector, we are pleased with the welcome given to our students, who are increasingly choosing Romania for their academic careers.
Overall, our economic and commercial relations are growing rapidly and continuously, whether in terms of investment or trade. Morocco is now Romania’s leading partner in our region.
I would like to take this opportunity to renew our gratitude for the support our students received in Ukraine following the outbreak of the war. Your hospitality in this context has been exceptional.
It remains for me to mention, on the one hand, a beautiful page in our relationship, that of security cooperation. Indeed, the release of the oldest Western hostage in the Sahel last August, Iulian Gherghut in this case, perfectly illustrates the quality of our partnership.
On the other hand, I would like to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its availability and friendship and to the authorities in charge of migration issues for their support to our community.
To conclude, I would like to renew my thanks for your presence and your friendship, pay tribute to all the people who contributed to the organization of this “garden party”, whether it be our staff or especially Mr. Dragos’ teams without forgetting Mrs. Catalina Damian for her valuable assistance.
Long live SM. The KING, long live the Morocco/Romania friendship.
02.08.2024 / Editor, Andreea Dragan
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