2024-05-13 13:29:21
“Japan has already strived to strengthen its relations with Morocco on several levels and will continue to actively work towards even closer cooperation,” said Mr. Hideaki in an interview published Monday by “Les Inspirations Eco” , stressing that the Kingdom is “an important partner” of Japanese diplomacy in order to strengthen relations with countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Describing cooperation between the two countries as “multifaceted”, the Japanese diplomat noted that in recent years, the development of these relations in the economic field has been remarkable, with more than 70 Japanese companies operating in Morocco reportedly created around 50,000 jobs.
In addition, in April 2022, the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement and the Tax Convention will enter into force, which is expected to deepen bilateral economic relations, he said.
He continued that Japan implements development cooperation projects in multiple methods, including the provision of funds, mainly through yen loans, with technical cooperation for human resources development, sending Japanese JICA volunteers and support for local micro-projects. “The goal is to stimulate the pursuit of economic development and the development of Morocco,” he assured.
Indeed, several areas are the subject of “our cooperation with the Kingdom” such as health, maritime fishing, port development, irrigation or even drinking water”, he noted, making note that “these are the same areas that appear in the list of candidate projects for Japanese reimbursable and non-reimbursable financial cooperation”.
“We are always looking for win-win partnerships and my country wishes to continue to support Morocco in these sectors of choice,” underlined Mr. Hideaki, highlighting, to this end, three areas of cooperation, namely strengthening economic competitiveness, promoting social development that takes into account inclusiveness and sustainability; and the promotion of South-South cooperation.
Regarding joint initiatives and projects in renewable energy, the diplomat noted that many Japanese companies pay great attention to the Kingdom’s remarkable potential in this area and that they plan to invest in desalination projects. sea water using renewable energies.
Returning to Morocco’s role as a gateway to Africa, Mr. Hideaki affirmed that the Kingdom continues to strengthen its comparative advantage as a “hub and center of production and logistics” connecting Africa to various countries and regions, notably by consolidating high-level infrastructure.
But beyond economic cooperation and development, efforts have been made to promote mutual understanding at the national level through cooperation in the fields of culture, art and education, a he clarified.
Thus, in terms of cultural cooperation, the diplomat expressed his wish to continue to develop cultural activities between Morocco and Japan while strengthening cooperation with Moroccan organizations, the aim being, he said, to offering a greater number of Moroccans the opportunity to discover Japanese language and culture.
Indeed, various forms of cultural cooperation have been implemented for many years, he recalled, adding that active cooperation is also observed in the educational and academic fields.
Regarding scholarships, 284 Moroccans were sent as scholarship holders to Japan, whether through the MEXT program (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) or the Initiative ABE (Japan International Cooperation Agency JICA), he said.
And note that Moroccans, particularly young people, have a positive impression of Japan thanks to Japanese pop culture such as manga and cartoons. Recently, Japanese cuisine (Washoku) is also starting to be appreciated in Morocco, he rejoiced.
2024-05-13 13:29:21