HM the King Elevated Morocco into a Modern, Prosperous Country – ASEAN SG

Rabat – His Majesty King Mohammed VI has transformed Morocco into a modern, developed country, which attracts considerable foreign investment, said Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc comprising the 10 countries of Southeast Asia.

“His Majesty the King has worked tirelessly for the benefit of His people and His country”, Kim Hourn stressed in an interview with MAP on the occasion of his working visit to Morocco, the first by an ASEAN Secretary General to the Kingdom. He praised the Sovereign’s “strong leadership”, emphasizing the Kingdom’s climate of security and stability, as well as the reforms undertaken to accelerate economic growth and improve livelihood of the population. “His Majesty the King has done a great deal for the Moroccan people, but also for Africa and the region”, he maintained, expressing conviction that Morocco, with its “stability and prosperity”, can “positively contribute to the continent and the region as a whole”. He also expressed ASEAN’s wish to boost cooperation with the Kingdom, benefiting of the latter’s strategic geographical position and identifying concrete areas of cooperation including trade, investment, tourism and air connectivity. Kim Hourn further noted that Morocco, which was awarded “Sectoral Dialogue Partner” status with ASEAN in 2023, is a major exporter representing a gateway to Africa, the Middle East and Europe. ASEAN also intends to benefit from Morocco’s “remarkable” experience in natural disaster management, as the South-East Asian region is highly exposed to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and extreme climatic phenomena, he noted.