Hanoi (VNA) – The consolidatedcooperation between Vietnam and Morocco is the result of their shared desire topromote and strengthen South-South cooperation, Moroccan Ambassador to Vietnam JamaleChouaibi said in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on theoccasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival.

This desire has been materialised through manyvisits by high-ranking government and parliament delegations as well as thesigning of cooperation agreements in various fields, he said.

The diplomat noted that since the establishment of Morocco-Vietnam bilateral diplomatic ties more than 60 years ago, the bilateral partnership has beendeveloping fruitfully in multiple spheres.

The two countries share similarities in orientationsof foreign policies, he said, adding Morocco was the 11th largestcontributor to UN peacekeeping operations in 2023, with more than 1,700 peacekeepersworking in different African countries.

Both hold important geopolitical locations asVietnam is seen as a gateway to Southeast Asia while Morocco is an economic bridgebetween Africa and Europe, the ambassador said.

Chouaibi expressed his belief that such similaritieswill create conditions for their cooperation to grow further in the future,stressing that the two countries are emerging, dynamic economies with sustainablegrowth and they are resolved to promote policies to diversify their tradepartners.

The ambassador reviewed a workshop on speeding upthe implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement held on thesidelines of African Day in Hanoi last May. It looked into contributions and opportunitiesgenerated by the agreement to countries that want to invest in Africa,including Vietnam, and prospects of cooperation between Vietnam and Africannations, especially Morocco.

Despite the bilateral trade yet to match potentialof the two countries, it has increased year by year, making Vietnam the second mostimportant economic partner of Morocco in the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN). Vietnam is focusing on expanding its economic partnernetwork, and the country can count on Morocco to help Vietnamese firms access Africanmarkets easily and safely, he said.  

The ambassador suggested the two countries jointlyinitiate trilateral or quadrilateral cooperation activities in Africancountries, especially in agriculture, with the participation of internationaldonors.

Both countries have ambitious cooperation plans in renewableenergy, digital transformation, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure andlogistics, industry and technology, aiming to become leading emerging economiesin their respective regions. It is an opportunity for them to share experienceand knowledge through the establishment of inter-sectoral committees, he emphasised. 

In 2017, Morocco was the first African and Arabcountry to join, as a partner member, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) whichincludes Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

Morocco has financed the construction of aneducational centre in Vientiane, Laos, with the mission of developing trainingprogrammes relating to the history of the Mekong River and the opportunitiesand challenges in the region, the ambassador said.

Chouaibi also highlighted prospects for cooperationbetween Vietnamese and Moroccan localities, saying the future twinned relationshipbetween Casablanca, Morocco’s industrial and financial centre, with Ho Chi MinhCity of Vietnam will create new momentum for the bilateral cooperation.

Asked about Vietnam’s approaching Tet, theambassador said the festival helps him learn about Vietnamese traditionalculture, and wished Vietnamese people a New Year filled with happiness,prosperity, opportunities and successes./.