Casablanca – The Royal Thai Embassy hosted the ASEAN Bazaar and Cultural Festival in Rabat on Saturday, bringing together the diplomatic missions of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the regional bloc celebrated its 59th anniversary.
During her speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco, Le Kim Quy, reaffirmed ASEAN’s foundational principles of peace and cooperation while highlighting key regional milestones and praising the growing relationship between ASEAN and Morocco.
Guest of Honour, MFA Director of Asia and Oceania Affairs, Omar Kadiri congratulated the bloc on its history of peace and development, emphasizing Morocco’s active commitment to deepening their strategic partnership based on shared values like sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The event featured food, traditional performances, handicrafts and cultural displays from ASEAN’s member states, including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. It also welcomed Moroccan visitors to learn more about Southeast Asia and its cultural diversity.
“This is the second ASEAN Bazaar after the success last year,” Thailand’s Ambassador to Morocco, H.E. Fabio Chinda, said recalling last year’s edition, which was also held in Morocco.
“This event is to show our culture and it is an opportunity for Moroccans to visit our embassy.”
He added that part of the proceeds from the event would be donated to charity, following the same approach as last year.
Indonesia’s Ambassador to Morocco, H.E. Yuyu Sutisna, said the festival followed the official ceremony marking ASEAN’s anniversary earlier in the day. He described the cultural event as a way to bring ASEAN countries closer to the Moroccan public.
“We prepared many foods from Indonesia, special cuisine, souvenirs, music and dance,” Sutisna said. “This is being held to be closer to the people of Morocco.”
Malaysia’s Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in Morocco, Monty Labong Ludan, also said the festival helped strengthen contacts beyond the diplomatic community.
“As we celebrate the 59th anniversary of ASEAN this year, the ASEAN Cultural and Food Festival is a good way for us to be closer to Moroccan society,” he said. “It is also a good tool for us to get close to the international society here in Morocco.”
Morocco has continued to expand its relations with ASEAN member states through diplomacy, trade and cultural exchanges in recent years. Several Southeast Asian embassies in Rabat regularly organize joint initiatives, while Moroccan officials have also sought stronger economic partnerships with countries across the region.
Earlier this month, Moroccan Secretary of State for Foreign Trade Omar Hejira Jakarta, where he held meetings with Indonesian officials and representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to expand trade and investment cooperation.
Morocco also received an invitation to participate in the Philippines Investment Summit scheduled for November 2026.
