Vietnam and Morocco strengthen bilateral relations in many areas

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>> Strengthen Vietnam – Morocco relations in various areas

How do you assess the development of cooperative relations between Vietnam and Morocco in 2024?

In 2024, bilateral cooperative relations between Vietnam and Morocco have seen remarkable progress, marked by numerous official visits aimed at strengthening ties of friendship and cooperation in various fields, particularly in parliamentary and economic cooperation, preservation of common historical heritage and interpersonal exchanges.

On the political level, several high-level visits were made, notably those to Morocco of Nguyên Trong Nghia, member of the Politburo, secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, president of the Central Commission for Awareness and Education of the Party, from May 29 to June 3, 2024, and Ta Ngoc Tân, permanent vice-president of the Theoretical Council of the Party Central Committee, last October. These visits helped strengthen bilateral relations, while highlighting the many interests shared between the two countries.

Parliamentary cooperation between the two countries was further intensified in 2024, notably during the visit to Vietnam of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives of Morocco, and that to the Kingdom of a delegation from the Committee on Affairs Related to Deputies of the National Assembly, led by Nguyên Tuân Anh.

On the economic level, the 2^e session of the Moroccan-Vietnamese commercial and industrial cooperation subcommittee, held last November in Rabat, highlighted countless potential sectors of cooperation between the two countries, including the Halal industry, the metallurgical industry, fertilizers, aviation, textiles, clothing and footwear.

Morocco has shown willingness to support Vietnam to become a key player in the Halal industry in Southeast Asia, as evidenced by the participation of the Moroccan Institute for Standardization (IMANOR) in the 1^re International Halal Industry Conference which took place in Hanoi in October this year.

Furthermore, the visit to Hanoi of the High Commissioner to former resistance fighters and former members of the Liberation Army (HCARAMAL) of Morocco and the active participation of this embassy in cultural events, such as the Hanoi International Gastronomic Festival and the “Young Francophone Reporters” competition, contributed to the consolidation of cultural and historical relations and the preservation of common memory.

These exchanges of visits between the two countries arise from a common ambition and a shared desire to further strengthen their bilateral relations and build a solid and lasting partnership.

Morocco is a leader in the green transition, while Vietnam is also striving to achieve its sustainable development goals. How do you think the two countries can work together to address common challenges around climate change and energy security?

Morocco and Vietnam, which face similar challenges linked to sustainable development and the fight against the vagaries of climate change, have set ambitious objectives in terms of sustainable development and energy and food security by embarking on a large-scale energy transformation.

This joint transformation generates numerous opportunities for cooperation, particularly in innovative sectors such as green hydrogen, offshore wind power and carbon processing. The respective expertise of the two countries, especially in electricity production and port activities, presents a solid basis for creating promising synergies.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on March 28, 2019, between Morocco and Vietnam on the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the areas of the environment and sustainable development, is among the existing cooperation instruments between the two countries.

The major challenge for both countries lies in finding an optimal balance between economic development and environmental protection. This common quest for sustainable growth aims to meet the current needs of populations while preserving resources for future generations. Through their collaboration, Morocco and Vietnam can pool their efforts to develop innovative solutions to the climate and energy challenges of the 21st century.^e century.

Apart from traditional areas, what are your expectations regarding the promotion of cooperation between Morocco and Vietnam in emerging sectors such as the halal industry and tourism?

A photo exhibition on President Ho Chi Minh organized in Morocco.

Photo : VNA/CVN

In addition to the traditional sectors, the halal industry and tourism represent promising areas likely to contribute to the consolidation of bilateral cooperation between Morocco and Vietnam in the years to come.

In terms of the halal industry, estimated at several trillion USD, Vietnam aims to become a major player in the international market. Morocco, thanks to its expertise in halal certification, is willing to collaborate closely with Vietnam by supporting it in its process of strengthening its production and export capacities of halal-labeled products, particularly to the Islamic countries of Africa and the Middle East and European countries with large Muslim communities.

In terms of tourism, Morocco and Vietnam, as destinations prized for their historical heritages, cultural diversities and distinct natural landscapes, would be able to collaborate to promote interconnected tourist routes.

In order to lay the groundwork for cooperation in these promising areas, the two countries will firstly seek to exchange their respective expertise in sustainable development, training in the hotel sector and heritage development. history and could proceed to set up joint projects in areas where the two countries have accumulated proven experience, in particular seaside, cultural and ecological tourism.

Secondly, Morocco and Vietnam could launch exploration missions to identify existing opportunities for cooperation and the programming of tourist circuits including both the Morocco destination and the Vietnam destination by means of tour operators.

The Porte du Maroc located in the district of Ba Vi, in Hanoi, in Vietnam and the Porte du Vietnam located in the region of Kenitra in Morocco, two symbolic vestiges perpetuating the history shared between the two peoples, could be included in the programs tourism from Vietnamese-Moroccan tour operators.

These growing sectors, coupled with a shared commitment to strengthening economic partnerships, could not only strengthen bilateral relations, but also position both countries as key players in high-growth markets.

Could you share the specific plans or initiatives that the Moroccan Embassy in Vietnam plans to implement soon to further strengthen bilateral relations?

As part of its role aimed at strengthening relations of cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Morocco, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Hanoi will spare no effort to contribute to the development and consolidation of bilateral cooperation relations. between the two countries in different areas.

As in previous years, the embassy develops, each new year, a work program defining the priorities of its activities throughout the year. This program includes ensuring the monitoring and implementation of the various actions identified in the economic and cultural domain, such as the strengthening of the legal framework through judicial cooperation agreements, the organization of events (in the form of seminars , workshops and field visits) making it possible to identify potential areas of cooperation and promoting relations between the main economic operators of the two countries, the production of a documentary or a film highlighting the common struggle in their quest for independence and establishment of a museum to preserve the common heritage and shared history between the two countries.

Regarding the cultural aspect, this will occupy a privileged place in the diplomatic action of this embassy, ​​through the organization of events highlighting the cultural richness and diversity of Morocco and symbolizing the historic Moroccan- Vietnamese, like festivals, film screenings and cultural days such as the Hanoi Gastronomic Festival or the FESPACO Film Festival.

In the field of tourism, initiatives will be taken to enable close collaboration between travel agencies and tour operators from the two countries, the aim being to include Morocco in Vietnamese tourist circuits in Europe and to promote Vietnam as a competitive destination in Southeast Asia.

The embassy will also encourage academic exchanges and the creation of scholarships for Vietnamese students wishing to study in Morocco. The organization of workshops and seminars focused on specific themes will aim to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

These initiatives, combined with actions already undertaken, will contribute to raising Moroccan-Vietnamese relations to a higher level, by diversifying the areas of collaboration and consolidating a lasting and mutually beneficial partnership.

VNA/CVN