Tazeen Akhtar
The 25th Anniversary of the Accession to the Throne of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, was hosted by the Ambassador Mohammed Karmoune of the Kingdom of Morocco, on Tuesday 30th July 2024 in Islamabad in a befitting manner at Serena Hotels.Federal Minister for Petroleum Mr. Musaddik Malik was chief guest while senior government and military officials of Pakistan were also present.
His Majesty’s role in transformation of society and system in his country, implementation of reforms agenda for economic development and infrastructure improvement, cooperation with international community and constructive contributions in Africa were highlighted in the worldwide celebrations.
His Majesty initiated Green Morocco, industrial acceleration, tourism plan, renewable energies, sustainable development, digital transformation etc. In order to support this development process in Morocco, HM King Mohammed VI launched in 2003, the work of the Tangier Med Port which became, a few years later, one of the largest economic projects in the Kingdom.
Tangier is also connected to Morocco’s capital Rabat and commercial hub in Casablanca by Africa’s first high-speed train service. After developing Tangier Med, Morocco launched a huge project in the southern provinces, namely the Port of DakhlaAtlantic which will be completed by 2028. In this context, Morocco continues to follow this dynamic by launching many big projects with a view to hosting the World Cup which will be organized jointly in 2030, with Spain and Portugal.
Ambassador in his welcome address shed light on the salient features of the achievements Morocco secured thanks to HM’s vision. He pointed out that Morocco has taken important measures to strengthen the rule of law and the protection of human rights.
“Morocco always demonstrated its commitment to international cooperation in addressing global challenges, including climate change and the preservation of our planet,Ambassador shared.
“Over the past 25 years, the democratic institutions have been strengthened, the country’s GDP has tripled and the social protection policy has witnessed considerable efforts to improve access to medical care and social services, Ambassador continued.
He said the Moroccan political landscape has undergone significant changes during His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s reign. An in depth constitutional reform was adopted in 2011to improves the efficiency of the political institutions. attracted around 37.5 billion US dollars in net foreign direct investments, averaging 2.2 billion dollar per year, placing the country as one of the most attractive investments destinations in Africa.
Ambassador detailed on His Majesty’s stand on Gaza. He highlighted that HM expressed solidarity with Gaza reiterating Morocco’s support for the Palestinian cause. He stressed that the plight of Gazans requires global efforts to genuinely work towards a definitive solution to the conflict. This should ensure that Gaza remains an integral part of the territories of an independent Palestinian state that will have East Jerusalem as its capital.
H.E Mohammed Karmoune paid tributes to the relations with Pakistan which unite two countries based on mutual respect, trust and historical ties that have linked our two nations for more than 66 years. The Kingdom of Morocco is determined to continue its cooperation with Pakistan. We strongly believe that working together will achieve our common development vision and embed our relations in excellence, he concluded.
Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori, MNA Mirza Ishtiaq Baig who is honoray consul of Morocco in Karachi, his brother Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar, Former Chairman Senate Defense Committee Mushahid Hussain Syed, Former Minister Information Fawwad Chaudhry, many other political leaders and parliamentarians, businessmen, civil society, media persons also attended the event.
A large number of diplomats from Arab and African countries including Saudi Arabia, Palestine, European envoys and other representatives of foreign community living in Islamabad also participated in the reception.
The guests were served with traditional Moroccan dishes and cookies that were highly appreciated. Ambassador in his Moroccan style dress reached to all guests personally and welcomed them warmly. The large number of guests from different walks of life was speaking a lot about the popularity of the Ambassador and his country in Pakistan.
Africa Day Celebration @ Serena Hotels Islamabad Displays Colors of the Continent
