It was the 27th anniversary of the accession of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the throne that brought the local Morocco community, government officials and specially invited guests to Harbour Club St. Lucia late last week.
His Excellency Mr. Younes Dirhoussi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, welcomed a small crowd to what was National Day, which marked the Throne Day of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Among the invited guest were Minister for Equity, Emma Hippolyte, Minister for External Affairs, Alva Baptiste, Senior Minister and Minister for Public Service, Stephenson King, alongside newly appointed Acting Governor General Felix Finisterre and Speaker of the House of Assembly Claudius Francis.
Speaking at the event Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, Younes Dirhoussi, the celebration “symbolizes and illustrates the solid bonds of unity and cohesion that have always existed between the kings of Morocco and the Moroccan citizens during 12 centuries of history.”
The Moroccan Ambassador also took the opportunity to highlight a few of the major achievements of the African nation in recent times including becoming a world leader in the vehicle export market, developing world class infrastructure which connects Africa, Europe and the Atlantic, and becoming one of the leading African nations in renewable energy. He further explained that Morocco and St. Lucia shared the same values as it relates to democracy, human rights and the commitment to multilateralism.
External Affairs Minister Alva Baptiste agreed that St. Lucia and Morocco had much in common. “It is a great honour to speak about the warm and growing relationship between St. Lucia and Morocco. Although geographically distant our nations share a common commitment to fostering peace, development and mutual understanding. St. Lucia also values Morocco’s commitment to social progress and its leadership in regional and global issues. We are proud of the diplomatic ties that have been established through our mutual respect and cooperation particularly in areas such as sustainable development, cultural exchange, agriculture and educational collaboration.”
The external affairs minister insisted that the emphasis must now be on efforts to further enhance the relationship between the two countries for the benefit of both nations.