Rabat – The Indonesian Embassy in Rabat celebrated on Thursday the 77th anniversary of the country’s independence, under the theme “Recover faster, arise stronger.”

The theme signifies Indonesia’s emergence from the COVID-19 period, with Indonesian Ambassador Hasrul Azwar saying that the country will not have to face the ongoing global food and energy crisis as it tries to recover.

The celebration featured traditional Indonesian foods such as Nasi Goreng and Chicken Satay, as well as traditional dances from the country performed by Indonesian students living in Morocco.

“We also invite people to cooperate further with Indonesia, as this year Indonesia is the President of G20,” a press release from the embassy said.

The celebration featured displays of traditional Indonesian dances.

Relations with Morocco

At the same time the embassy is celebrating its country’s independence, 2022 marks the 62nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Like many other countries, the informal ties between Indonesia and Morocco can be traced back to the 14th century and Ibn Battuta’s time, where he stayed as a guest of  the Sultan of Samudra for two weeks.

Formal relations between the two were established in 1960, with Indonesia’s first President Sukarno paying a visit to Rabat that same year where he spoke with King Mohammed V. One of Rabat’s avenues was named after Sukarno to commemorate the visit.

In 1990, Casablanca and Jakarta signed a sister city agreement, with one of the Indonesian capital’s main avenues also being named after the Moroccan city.

The relations also extended to trade and commerce, with the two countries establishing a joint commission in 2013 to improve ties in tourism, trade, and investment.

In 2018, the two states also signed more cooperation agreements, notably focusing on energy cooperation and visa exemptions for diplomatic and service passports.

Morocco also unveiled plans in 2019 to increase the number of scholarships to Indonesian students, and signed an agreement in 2020 to coordinate their efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

During Thursday’s celebration, Ambassador Azwar noted that Indonesia is among the top 5 countries in the world in terms of the number of vaccines administered.

September saw a major milestone for bilateral ties, as Indonesia opened an honorary consulate in Casablanca.

Ambassador Hasrul Azwar speaks during Thursday’s celebration.

The ambassador said that on this occasion, he expects the relations between the two countries to develop across multiple sectors.

“We’re ready to be Morocco’s strategic partner,” he told Morocco World News. “Linking not only Morocco and Indonesia, but also Africa and Asia.”

The ambassador added that the embassy will organize an exhibition showcasing the traditional Indonesian Batik cloth to commemorate the 13th anniversary of its inclusion in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.