MOROCCO’S new Ambassador to St. Lucia, AbderrahimKadmiri has promised that his country will continue to strengthen the cooperation that exists between the two countries.
Ambassador Kadmiri who came to St. Lucia a month ago spoke to reporters Tuesday taking the time to introduce himself and his country.
Morocco has been a big help to St. Lucia in the area of education and agriculture, providing much needed shipments of fertilizers to local farmers and scholarships for further educational advancement.
In fact, a shipment of the composts is already on its way to St. Lucia and will soon arrive at the Castries seaport, according to the ambassador.
A diplomat for the past three decades, Ambassador Kadmiri left the post of Director General in the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to head his country’s embassy headquartered in St. Lucia at the Bay Walk Mall. Gros Islet, but serving eight other Caribbean nations, namely Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Kitts & Nevis, Dominica and Grenada, Antigua & Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
He noted the importance of Morocco having a presence in the region and its need to explore various areas of cooperation with countries it shares diplomatic ties with.
“Our focus will be on south-south cooperation.” Ambassador Kadmiri said.
He will tomorrow present his credentials to the authorities in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Morocco, as a country, has been in existence since the year 789 when the first Moroccan state was established.
According to the ambassador, Morocco was the first nation in the world to recognize the independence of the United States of America in 1777.
The country celebrated its 73rd anniversary of the Morocco’s Presentation of the Manifesto of Independence yesterday.
It was on January 11, 1994 that the Istiqlal (Independence) Party presented to France, the USA and Great Britain a manifesto demanding full independence, national reunification, and a democratic constitution for Morocco.
The country did not gain its independence that year despite its submission of the manifesto. What followed was the banishment of the country’s King Mohammed by France in 953 to Madagascar resulting in active opposition to the French and Spanish who were ruling the country at the time.
King Mohammed V returned to Morocco’s soon after and following negotiations with the protectorates Morocco gained its independence from Spain and France in March 1956.
The kingdom of Morocco economic recovery started gradually. After gaining independence it began negotiations with Spain which led to the recovery of certain parts of the country. Morocco was acknowledged by the United Nations by virtue of the Madrid Agreement in 1975.
