Part 3: Open doors to ASEAN and the “dark continent”

Morocco is the gateway between Africa and Europe, while Vietnam is the gateway to Southeast Asia. Continuing the historical bond, this geostrategic position opens up opportunities for the two countries to develop common value chains in many key sectors. Morocco and Vietnam are on the journey to write new chapters of a strong and lasting relationship.

New phase from the history of connection

Promoting economic partnership will not only strengthen bilateral relations but also help position the two countries as key players in fast-growing markets. In 2024, the relationship between the two countries has made significant progress with a series of high-level visits to strengthen friendship and cooperation in many fields. At the end of 2024, in November, in Rabat, the second meeting of the Vietnam - Morocco Trade and Industry Cooperation Subcommittee highlighted many potential areas of cooperation such as Halal industry, metallurgy, fertilizer, aviation, textiles and footwear.

It is necessary to strengthen many cooperative and friendly activities between Vietnam and Morocco, contributing to opening up new opportunities in regional cooperation in Africa - Southeast Asia. Photo: Archive

Previously, Morocco also expressed its willingness to support Vietnam to become an important factor in the Halal industry in Southeast Asia. This spirit was demonstrated through the participation of the Moroccan Standards Institute (IMANOR) at the First International Conference on Halal Industry held in Hanoi.

Also in 2024, the visit to Hanoi of the delegation of the High Commissioner for Resistance Fighters and Former Members of the Liberation Army of the Kingdom of Morocco, along with the active participation of the Moroccan Embassy in cultural events, contributed to strengthening relations and preserving the common memory between the two countries.

Recently, information from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Hanoi said that, entering 2025, it has built an action program with many new initiatives to contribute to enhancing bilateral relations. This program includes activities in the economic and cultural fields such as strengthening the legal framework through judicial cooperation agreements; organizing events to promote potential cooperation areas, thereby strengthening relations between economic operators of the two countries; producing films honoring the common struggle for independence and building museums to preserve the heritage and history connecting the two countries. In addition, many initiatives in the fields of culture, tourism, academic exchange programs, and establishing scholarships for Vietnamese students will continue to be implemented...

Morocco and Vietnam have great potential for cooperation in connecting tourism itineraries thanks to historical heritages, cultural diversity and unique natural landscapes. Returning to the Morocco Gate in Ba Vi, Hanoi, Mr. Nguyen Duc Anh, Vice Chairman of the Ba Vi District People's Committee, expressed his hope that not only diplomatic delegations but also many tourists have come to learn about a period of human history that has connected us with a country in North Africa. With the available conditions of Ba Vi, it is hoped that there will be mechanisms from the city, the diplomatic sector, tourism, etc. to make the Morocco Gate a unique and rare highlight in the local tourism product chain.

Need to fill the gap of potential

Despite certain achievements, according to many diplomatic experts, the effectiveness of the friendly cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco to date, especially in the economic field, is still below expectations. Accordingly, Morocco is currently in the top 10 largest export markets of Vietnam in Africa. Vietnam is Morocco's second largest trading partner in ASEAN. However, in the past few years, it is estimated that the total import-export turnover between the two countries is only 200-300 million USD/year, not reaching the expected target agreed upon at the First Session of the Subcommittee on Trade and Industrial Cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco.

Diplomatic experts consulted relevant parties to propose feasible solutions to exploit the potential for cooperation and exchange in many fields between the two countries. The Vietnam - Morocco Friendship and Cooperation Association pointed out four areas in which Morocco can help Vietnam in its journey of mutual development.

Firstly, Morocco is the world's leading exporter of phosphate. This is an important product in the production of preparations for agriculture and industry, while Vietnam is gradually running out of resources. Morocco has repeatedly expressed its willingness to export phosphate to Vietnam. Secondly, payment is one of the barriers that has prevented trade relations between Vietnam and African countries from meeting expectations. Meanwhile, Morocco has a developed banking system with a network covering almost all African countries, which can become a bridge to help Vietnam remove this bottleneck. Thirdly, Morocco has taken strong steps in the transition to renewable energy. Fourthly, as a coastal country, Morocco has conducted in-depth research on marine energy and wave energy to generate electricity.

Experts say that facing similar challenges related to sustainable development and responding to the impacts of climate change, this transition opens up many opportunities for cooperation, especially in innovative areas such as green hydrogen, offshore wind power and carbon capture. In addition, with extensive expertise in power generation and port operations, the two countries have a solid foundation for creating promising cooperation.

On the other hand, Vietnam has advantages in digital transformation, developing information technology infrastructure and making great strides in agriculture to promote cooperation with Morocco. In addition, exporting education and sending experts, especially experts in the agricultural sector, from Vietnam to work in Morocco are also potential suggestions. Through seminars, Morocco has repeatedly expressed its interest in learning about farming techniques, developing crop and livestock varieties, especially developing cages for shrimp and marine fish farming in Vietnam.

Expectation of connecting two gateways

In his role as a bridge, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Morocco to Vietnam Jamale Chouaibi said that the partnership between Morocco and Vietnam still has much potential to be exploited in the future. In addition to traditional areas of cooperation, Ambassador Jamale Chouaibi said that the Halal industry and tourism are considered promising areas that can make important contributions to strengthening the bilateral cooperation relationship between Morocco and Vietnam in the coming years.

Ambassador Jamale Chouaibi (pictured) stressed: “Proactively expanding investment opportunities and taking advantage of free trade agreements will help boost trade and create new economic opportunities. Ultimately, an enhanced strategic dialogue involving both the public and private sectors is essential to turn these initiatives into reality. I hope that in the coming time, the bilateral partnership will be transformed into a multi-dimensional cooperation, in which each country benefits from the strengths of the other.”

Continuing the past affection, in early 2025, during his visit and working session in Vietnam, Chairman of the Moroccan House of Representatives Rachid Talbi El Alami expressed his wish to develop the cooperative relationship between the two countries more effectively and substantially in all fields. Emphasizing that "Morocco always considers Vietnam as a "gateway" to promote cooperative relations with Asian countries as well as countries in the ASEAN region", Chairman of the Moroccan House of Representatives Rachid Talbi El Alami also affirmed that "Morocco will be a "bridge" to promote cooperative relations between Vietnam and African countries". Mr. Rachid Talbi El Alami proposed to establish a Business Council to review each issue, and at the same time identify specific solutions for implementation; strengthen cooperation between localities of Vietnam and cities with major ports in Morocco...

Working with Mr. Rachid Talbi El Alami, Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tran Thanh Man proposed promoting trade, investment, trade promotion, and cooperation in areas such as chemicals, fertilizers, agricultural products, textiles, etc. In particular, seeking opportunities to develop the Halal supply chain for export to markets where each side has advantages; researching the connection between localities of the two countries, including promoting the building of a sister relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and Casablanca. Over the years, the Moroccan Government has always maintained scholarships and created favorable conditions for Vietnamese students to study. Appreciating these sentiments, Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man affirmed: "Nurturing the solidarity of the people, especially the young generation, will be a strong bond for the relationship between our two countries".

According to Nhan Dan Newspaper

https://nhandan.vn/moi-quan-he-gan-bo-huu-nghi-ky-3-post861412.html

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/ky-3-rong-cua-den-asean-va-luc-dia-den-210531.html