Assahafa.com
Morocco’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Jamale Chouaibi, outlined unprecedented advances in bilateral relations throughout 2024, emphasizing potential collaborations in green energy transition and the Halal industry.
In an interview with Vietnam News Agency during the Lunar New Year festival, Chouaibi detailed how high-level visits and economic partnerships have strengthened ties between the two nations.
The ambassador highlighted Morocco’s readiness to support Vietnam in becoming a key player in Southeast Asia’s Halal industry.
As a sign of this commitment, IMANOR, Morocco’s national standards body, participated in Hanoi’s first international Halal industry conference in October 2024.
“Morocco, with its extensive experience in Halal certification, is ready to collaborate closely with Vietnam by supporting the enhancement of production and export capacities for Halal-certified products,” Chouaibi said.
He specified that these efforts particularly target Muslim countries in Africa and the Middle East, as well as European nations with substantial Muslim populations.
The second meeting of the Vietnam-Morocco Subcommittee on Trade and Industry Cooperation, held in November in Rabat, identified several promising sectors for collaboration, including metallurgy, fertilizers, aviation, textiles, garments, and footwear.
Chouaibi emphasized the potential for cooperation in addressing climate change and energy security challenges.
Both nations have established ambitious sustainable development goals, creating opportunities for collaboration in innovative fields such as green hydrogen, offshore wind energy, and carbon management.
The bilateral relationship has seen key diplomatic activity in 2024. Notable visits included Politburo member Nguyen Trong Nghia’s trip to Morocco from May 29 to June 3, and Professor Ta Ngoc Tan, Permanent Vice Chairman of Vietnam’s Central Theory Council, in October.
Parliamentary cooperation advanced with visits by Najib El-Khadi, Secretary-General of the Moroccan House of Representatives, to Vietnam and a reciprocal visit by Vietnam’s National Assembly delegation.
These contemporary developments build upon decades of historical ties. Between 1947 and 1954, more than 60,000 Moroccan soldiers served in Indochina under French colonial rule.
Following the 1954 armistice, approximately 150 Moroccan soldiers remained in Vietnam, establishing families and communities.
In Ba Vi district, 50 kilometers from Hanoi, about 300 former soldiers settled in a farming village, constructing a Moorish-inspired gateway that stands today as a testament to their heritage.
The connection flows both ways. In 1972, King Hassan II enabled seven original Vietnamese families – wives and children of former French soldiers who had settled in Vietnam – to relocate to Morocco.
They were granted land in Douar Sfari, a suburb of Kenitra City. In November 2022, this historical bond was commemorated with the construction of a traditional Vietnamese village gate in Douar Sfari, featuring both countries’ flags.
The gate, built with tiles and decorative elements brought from Vietnam, stands as a symbol of the enduring Vietnamese presence in Morocco.
The establishment of the Vietnam-Morocco Friendship Association on December 13, 2021, under the leadership of Phan Tam, Vietnam’s deputy minister of Information and Communications, further institutionalized the relationship.
The association operates as the 117th member organization of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations.
Guiding the relationship is a Memorandum of Understanding signed on March 28, 2019, which focuses on environment and sustainable development cooperation.
Looking ahead, the Moroccan Embassy in Hanoi has committed to implementing new initiatives, including tourism promotion, cultural exchanges, and the production of a documentary celebrating the two countries’ shared struggle for independence.
Source: Morocco word news
