Throne Day Celebration of Morocco observed in Seoul

Amb. Chraibi (white gown) of Morocco cuts a cake while distinsuished guests watches in the reception he hosted to celebrate the Throne Day of Morocco held at Lotte Hotel Monday (July 30).

A reception to mark the 2012 Throne Day Celebration of the Kingdom of Morocco was held on July 30, 2012 at the Lotte Hotel, Seoul under the auspieces of Amb. & Mrs. Mohammed Chraibi of Morocco.

In a speech, Amb. Chraibi touched upon the significance of the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relationship between South Korea and Morocco. Many African envoys showed up in the reception.

They included Ambs, Ngovi Kitau of Kenya, Mohamed El-Zorkany of Egypt, Kouassi Florent Ekra of Cote d’Ivoire, and Amadou Dabo of Senegal in addition to Amb. Vitali V. Fen of Uzbekistan who serves as the dean of The Seoul Diplomatic Corps.

A large number of envoys from European nations  also attended the reception. They were Amb. Slobodan Marinkovic of Serbia, Thomas Kupfer of Switzerland, Paul Menkfeld of the Netherlands and so forth.

Korean guests included Lee Sam-kul, Vice Minister II of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security on behalf of the Korean government, Cho Hae-hyung, chairman of Nara Holdings who serves as President of Honorary Consuls in Korea, and Kim Joong-do, president of Andre Kim Studio etc.

From left, Amb. Zorkany of Egypt, Amb. Chraibi of Morocco, Mrs. Dabo (spouse of Senegal Amb.), Amb. Ekra of Cote d'Ivoire, and Mrs. Chraibi

*The following is a speech, delivered by His Excellency Amb. Mohammed Chraibi of Morocco for the occasion.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you and thank you for coming tonight to celebrate with us the 13thAnniversary of theE nthronemen tof His Majesty the King Mohammed VI.

The celebration of the Throne Day is a long-standing tradition marked by the act of allegiance, which is a binding contract between the king and the population. The monarchy institution has always been the symbol of continuity of the State, the defender of its spiritual values and the guarantor of the Moroccan national unity. It has been, throughout centuries, in the heart of the development process of the nation.

The principle of “evolution in continuity” is the founding credo of the political practice of the Kingdom, which has been successfully implemented thanks to numerous and specific institutional, political and identity features, namely the feeling of belonging to a nation, the attachment to moderate and tolerant Islam, the attachment to the monarchy and the preservation of civil peace. During the last ten years, Morocco has strived to promote a governance methodology that combines democracy, openness and solidarity.

Since His enthronement in July 1999, His Majesty the King Mohammed VI launched bold political reforms such as the Family Code, the rehabilitation of the Amazigh culture, the Equity and Reconciliation Commission and the advanced regionalization. This process of political reforms culminated in the adoption by referendum, in July 2011, of a new Constitution, which enshrines the principle of the separation of powers, the independence of justice, more prerogative powers granted to the head of government and to the Parliament, strengthening the respect of human rights and ensuring continued progress in gender.

Further to the adoption of this New Constitution, early legislative elections were held in November 2011. These elections brought a new government headed by the political party that gained the majority of seats in the Parliament. Hence, the singularity of the Moroccan model lies in the country’s ability to provide timely or even anticipatory political responses to all movements of economic and social claims. This singularity consecrates the principles of citizenship and strengthens the country’s social cohesion and democratic vocation.

This year’s celebration of the Throne Day coincides with the commemoration of the 50thanniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Korea. In fact, these 50 years of diplomatic relations attest outstandingly to the excellent ties that so happily exist between our two nations on the political, economic and socio-cultural levels, based on true friendliness, mutual comprehension and fruitful cooperation.

They are from right, Amb. Dabo of Senegal, Mrs. Chraibi, Amb. Ekra of Cote d'Ivoire, Mrs. Dabo, Amb. Chraibi of Morocco, Amb. Zorkany of Egypt, and Amb. Amari of Tunisia

As far as the trade relations between Morocco and Korea are concerned, the exchange volume is in constant progress thanks to the willingness and determination of both sides to promote economic cooperation, illustrated by the frequent visits made every year in both countries by high-level officials and economic operators. I would like to seize this opportunity to commend on the valuable support of the government of Korea to Morocco’s development policies and particularly the efforts made by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to accompany the reform projects initiated in my country, through development project funding, technical assistance and training in various areas.

Our two countries are committed to pursue their endeavours to deepen further the economic cooperation in order to meet the expectations of our respective peoples. At the multilateral level, Morocco and Korea are keen to ensure effective consultation and cooperation, particularly at the United Nations, wherein the two countries defend vigorously peace, security and stability in the international arena.

Finally, I would like to express the wish that our two nations achieve more progress and prosperity, peace and stability. I am confident that they will spare no efforts to consolidate their everlasting ties of friendship and genuine partnership.

Long live Morocco Korea friendship

– GamzahHamnida-

*The following is an excerpt of his congratulatory speech, delivered by Vice Minister II Lee Sam-kul of the Ministry of Public Administration & Security on behalf of the Korean government.

Renowned for its cultural and natural diversity, Moroccois also known to Koreans for the film “Casablanca” and ”Atlas“ from Greek mythology. Under the excellent leadership of His Majesty the King Mohammed the Sixth, Morocco has successfully pursued social, political and economic reforms for the realization of democracy. Furthermore, Korea highly regards its commitment to reduce poverty, empower women and improve the overall welfare of its people.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Korea and Morocco in 1962, there has been significant progress in promoting bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics, economy and culture. To celebrate 50 years of our ties, various cultural festivals have taken place in both Korea and Morocco recently. I believe this will enhance mutual understanding as well as strengthen our relationship.

Our two countries share many similarities. We are pursuing economic growth based on market-oriented economy, particularly in human resource development, ICT and green growth. Meanwhile, a number of Korean companies are currently involved in the construction of power plants in Morocco. At the same time, they are seeking more opportunities to participate in Morocco’s infrastructure building projects including road, port and high-speed railway.

Furthermore, the Korean Government is actively supporting Morocco by providing various training programs and dispatching volunteers for rural development and human resource capacity building. I am confident that sharing experiences and good practices will not only contribute to the reconstruction of the nation, but also further deepen our friendship.

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