New milestone in parliamentary cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco

Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man.

Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man .

On the occasion of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man's visit to Morocco from July 24-27 at the invitation of Chairman of the Moroccan House of Representatives Rachid Talbi Alami, VNA correspondent in Africa had an interview with Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco Le Kim Quy.

Reporter: What is the content and significance of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man's visit to Morocco this time for the relationship between the two countries?

Ambassador Le Kim Quy : At the invitation of President of the Moroccan House of Representatives Rachid Talbi Alami, Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man will officially visit Morocco from July 24-27. The visit has many important meanings for Vietnam as well as Morocco, reflected in the following main points:

The visit by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man marks a new milestone in strengthening bilateral relations, the first visit to Morocco by a key Vietnamese leader since 2019 and takes place in the context of the two countries looking towards the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026.

The visit is a step to implement the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress on independence, self-reliance for peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralization, diversification, and comprehensive and deep international integration.

The visit demonstrates the determination to further strengthen and expand the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco, especially between the legislative bodies of the two countries, creating a strong driving force for the development of cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, investment, tourism, education and training, serving the practical interests of the people of the two countries.

At the regional level, the visit of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to Morocco and Senegal is also the first visit of a Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman to Africa since 2019, demonstrating Vietnam's respect, affection, and loyalty to friendly countries on the continent.

In the context of Vietnam entering a new era, an era of national growth, strengthening and deepening relations with international friends, including Africa, plays an important role.

On Morocco's side, the visit also reinforced the prospect of enhancing cooperation with Asian countries, especially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through Vietnam's active role.

Regarding the content of the visit, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man will have important talks and meetings with the Moroccan Prime Minister and the President of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate; exchange policies with businesses and meet the Vietnamese community in Morocco.

During the visit, the two sides will review bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially parliamentary cooperation, and set out directions for relations between the two countries in general and the two legislative bodies in particular in the coming time, focusing on strengthening political and parliamentary relations, creating new impetus for cooperation in all fields, especially economics, trade, and investment.

The visit also opens up opportunities for contacts, information sharing and experience in building and implementing development policies in areas that are Morocco's strengths and that Vietnam is very interested in, such as finance-banking, high-speed railway, renewable energy, logistics, etc.

During the visit, the National Assembly Chairman will also meet with the Vietnamese community in Morocco, demonstrating the deep concern of the Party and State leaders as well as great encouragement for the Vietnamese community here.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man received Moroccan House of Representatives President Rachid Talbi El Alami on the afternoon of January 21, 2025, in Can Tho city. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

Therefore, the visit of the National Assembly Chairman to Morocco is of great significance, affirming political trust and sincere desire to cooperate and develop together with Morocco.

The visit is not only an opportunity for both sides to review the past journey but is also expected to create a new turning point for the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco.

In particular, the visit affirmed the important role of parliamentary diplomacy, practically serving the interests of the people of the two countries, actively contributing to the Vietnam-Morocco cooperative relationship as well as peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

The visit also demonstrates the strength and role of South-South cooperation, affirming solidarity and friendship among developing countries, actively contributing to the development process of each country.

Reporter: Vietnam and Morocco established diplomatic relations on March 27, 1961. How does the Ambassador assess the relationship between the two countries after more than 60 years, especially in parliamentary relations?

Ambassador Le Kim Quy : Nearly 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations (March 27, 1961), the Vietnam-Morocco friendship has been woven from common historical pages bearing the mark of the struggle for national independence and freedom and has been continuously consolidated and expanded in recent decades, for the benefit of the people of the two countries, especially through parliamentary diplomacy.

Parliamentary diplomacy is truly a special highlight in Vietnam-Morocco relations, associated with many extremely important milestones in bilateral cooperation.

The mutual visits between the leaders of the two countries' legislatures are considered the most vibrant and diverse among the delegation exchanges at all levels between Vietnam and Morocco.

There have been at least three visits by the President of the Moroccan House of Representatives to Vietnam, in 2015, 2017, and 2025, respectively. On the Vietnamese side, the visit by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man is the third visit by the head of the Vietnamese National Assembly to Morocco since 2005.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Morocco was also inaugurated exactly 20 years ago, during the visit to Morocco of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An in 2005.

Morocco is the first African country with which Vietnam has signed a Parliamentary Cooperation Agreement, creating an important legal framework for bilateral cooperation, demonstrating the importance of the role of the legislature in deepening the cooperative relationship between the two countries.

In 2020, at the 41st AIPA General Assembly chaired by Vietnam, the Moroccan House of Representatives became the first African Parliament to be granted observer status to AIPA. This demonstrates Vietnam's trust and appreciation for Morocco's role in the region.

The two countries' parliaments have also established a Parliamentary Friendship Group, playing an active bridging role in promoting friendship and parliamentary cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco in potential areas.

Reporter: According to the Ambassador, what should the two countries do to further promote bilateral cooperation, especially within the framework of parliamentary cooperation?

Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco Le Kim Quy. (Photo: Hong Minh/VNA)

Ambassador Le Kim Quy : The upcoming visit of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man will be a new important milestone in parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.

The visit not only deepens parliamentary diplomacy but also contributes to promoting substantive cooperation in many other fields, especially economics, trade, investment, finance, etc.

To continue promoting parliamentary diplomacy, the two countries need to increase exchanges and contacts between legislative bodies; effectively implement the Parliamentary Cooperation Agreement; promote the role of Friendship Parliamentarians' Groups, actively coordinate and support each other in multilateral parliamentary forums.

The legislatures of the two countries also need to encourage the sharing of experiences in legislative work, building legal policies to facilitate socio-economic development of each country, as well as contributing to promoting bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Reporter: It is known that Ambassador Le Kim Quy has assumed the position of Vietnamese Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, concurrently serving the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, the Republic of Benin, the Republic of Guinea, Burkina Faso, the Republic of Gabon and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau since the beginning of 2024. Could you please share some thoughts about Morocco after more than a year as Ambassador here?

Ambassador Le Kim Quy : I arrived in Morocco to take up my assignment in March 2024. During my journey over the past year, the beautiful country of Morocco has left me with very deep impressions.

Although geographically distant, Vietnam and Morocco have many similarities, including important geopolitical positions, long-standing cultures, and both are dynamic emerging economies, deeply integrated into the international community, with strong aspirations and determination to rise up.

Like Vietnam, Moroccan people are very attached to traditional cultural and historical values, while harmoniously combining them with modern values, creating their own identity and mark. Cuisine is also a unique feature and pride of the Moroccan people.

Morocco's famous couscous and tagine have gradually become my favorite dishes on the menu. Morocco is famous for its diverse and unique cultural heritage, architecture and landscapes, making it a top tourist destination in Africa in recent years.

As a female Ambassador, I am also very interested in the role of women in Moroccan society. I am very impressed by the achievements in gender equality and women's empowerment here. Women play an increasingly important role in Morocco's political, economic and social life, with the proportion of women in the House of Representatives and female leaders in the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs being 24.3% and 40% respectively.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to His Majesty the King, the Government and the people of Morocco for their special affection for Vietnam. We pledge to continue our efforts to further develop the bilateral relationship.

Reporter: Thank you very much, Ambassador!

Nhandan.vn

Source: https://nhandan.vn/dau-moc-quan-trong-moi-trong-hop-tac-nghi-vien-giua-viet-nam-va-morocco-post895984.html