A ceremony recently was held in Rabat to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Morocco and Vietnam.

The ceremony to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Morocco was organized in cooperation between the Morocco's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the Embassy of of Vietnam in Morocco and the Morocco-Vietnam Friendship Association.

Ambassador of Vietnam to Morocco, Dang Thi Thu Ha delivers her speech at the event. Photos: Vietnam's embassy

Speaking at the event, Ambassador of Vietnam to Morocco, Dang Thi Thu Ha, stressed that over the past six decades, "the two countries have built close relations, but the ties between Vietnam and Morocco do not only date back to 1961, they are much more historical," pointing out that "many Moroccan soldiers have fought alongside the Viet Minh, the Vietnamese army at the time".

These Moroccan soldiers have left their mark in Vietnam, through the construction of the "Morocco Gate", which is a monument steeped in Moroccan culture, she added, while stressing that "these veterans and their families represent a living and vivid proof of the shared history between the two countries."

The diplomat then announced that the Vietnamese Embassy in Morocco has launched the construction of the Vietnamese Gate, in the village Douar Sfari, in the province of Kenitra, following the example of the Moroccan Gate in Ba Vi district.

"A project imbued with Moroccan culture is the Morocco Gate, which was built in Ba Vi by those soldiers. Currently, the Embassy and their descendants are continuing to build the Vietnam Gate in Morocco, symbol of the friendly relationship of the two countries", Ha emphasized.

She also stressed that her country plays "the role of a bridge between Morocco and ASEAN," while specifying that "Morocco is currently one of the few Arab and African countries that maintain close relations with this organization."

Sharing the same view, Secretary General of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, Abdelilah Afifi, said that the distinguished relations between Morocco and Vietnam are based on a common historical memory, noting that the common cultural heritage and close human ties that unite the two countries are witnesses.

In this regard, he stressed that the "Morocco Gate", built between 1956 and 1960 in the north of the capital Hanoi, presents one of the heritage monuments dedicated to the Arab-Islamic architectural style, adding that the Moroccan-Vietnamese families who settled in Vietnam or those who chose to return to Morocco, at the initiative of the late HM King Hassan II, is a strong embodiment of these common values.

High Commissioner for Veterans and former members of the Liberation Army, President of the Morocco-Vietnam Friendship Association, Mustapha El Ktiri.

For his part, the High Commissioner for Veterans and former members of the Liberation Army, President of the Morocco-Vietnam Friendship Association, Mustapha El Ktiri, recalled that "the history of human relations between Moroccans and Vietnamese goes back to the famous Indochina War (1946-1954)."

During this war, "hundreds of thousands of young Moroccan soldiers were enlisted in the French expeditionary corps, under the circumstances of the colonial occupation of Morocco and Vietnam," he explained, adding that "some of these Moroccan soldiers deserted the French colonial forces to join the Vietnamese movement."

"Between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a whole fund of historical accumulation has been forged, constituting a historical heritage that is shared between the two countries and the two peoples," he added.

The High Commissioner for Veterans also signed a cooperation agreement with the Vietnam Veterans Association and published a book on the shared history between the two countries. On this occasion, Mustapha El Ktiri also expressed his wish that Vietnam will soon establish the Vietnam-Morocco Friendship Association.

Vovinam are Vietnamese martial arts that are loved and practiced by many Moroccans.

The celebration took place with a special cultural exchange program. Vietnamese artists Minh Trang, Minh Anh, and Minh Tran have given the audience many interesting impressions with Vietnamese folk songs performed by national musical instruments, such as đàn bầu (monochord), đàn tranh (16-chord zither), đàn T'rưng (a traditional bamboo xylophone used by the Jarai people and Bahnar people in Vietnam's Central Highlands), đàn đá (Lithophone) and especially joint performances with Moroccan artists.

In addition, the performance of Vietnamese traditional ao dai and Morocco's traditional Kaftan clothing also created a unique highlight of the art program when for the first time the two countries' traditional costumes were interwoven on the stage. Vietnam's national musical instrument background.

The guests all enjoyed the lion dance performances, traditional martial arts performances, in which Vovinam are loved and practiced by many Moroccans.

In particular, on this occasion, the guests had the opportunity to visit the exhibition of painter Naima Deniale, wife of the first former Ambassador of Morocco to Vietnam ElHoucine Fardani with the theme "A Perspective on Vietnam - Heart and Soul" and enjoy traditional Vietnamese cuisine. The paintings depict Vietnam's scenic spots, expressed through the art of lacquer and oil paintings, painted by Deniale while working with her husband in Vietnam.

Sharing about her feelings and thoughts, Deniale said that her time living in Vietnam has inspired her to create colorful works of art about Vietnam. The country has a diverse culture, with charming landscapes and hospitable people.

The celebration took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere, leaving deep impressions on attendees and contributing to deepening the understanding and solidarity between the two countries, promoting the image and Vietnamese culture to international friends, and at the same time contribute to honoring the Vietnamese community in Morocco.

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