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Rabat – Morocco’s House of Representatives’ Rachid Talbi Alami met with the Japanese Ambassador to Morocco Shinozuka Takashi on November 11 to strengthen bilateral and multilateral parliamentary cooperation between Morocco and Japan.
The two representatives welcomed the good relations uniting the parliaments of Morocco and Japan. The Japanese Ambassador further expressed his country’s determination to enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation, boost mutual visits, and interparliamentary coordination.
The Japanese diplomat commended economic, industrial, and cultural ties between Rabat and Tokyo, expressing his deep appreciation for the measures taken by Morocco to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Japanese government’s orientations tend to be more open to the African continent and to issues related to climate change and renewable energies,” he added.
Talbi Alami expressed satisfaction with Moroccan-Japanese relations, praising the quality of bilateral and multilateral parliamentary relations, noting that the First Chamber is open to all constructive initiatives and issues of common interest, such as climate change, renewable energy and technological development.
He also recalled Tokyo’s position on Morocco’s territorial integrity that remains unchanged.
In 2020, Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shinichi Nakatani, stressed that “Japan does not recognize Western Sahara as a state,” reaffirming Japan’s “non-recognition of any separatist entity relating to the Moroccan aspect of the Sahara.”
Morocco and Japan established their diplomatic relations in 1956 with Japan opening its Embassy in Morocco in 1961.
The last few years have seen an increase in bilateral diplomacy and trade between Japan and Morocco.
The two countries in March 2021 signed a first Memorandum of Cooperation concerning land-use planning, town planning, infrastructure, and investment.
In January 2020, Morocco’s former Minister Delegate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohcine Jazouli, and former Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Keisuke Suzuki, chaired the fifth Morocco-Japan Joint Commission meeting in Rabat.
The Japanese House of Councillors adopted on May 13, 2020, an agreement on the protection and promotion of investments between Morocco and Japan.
Although historically cooperation between the two nations has been limited, Japan and Morocco are committed to upscale economic and political cooperation while promoting investments opportunities and boosting tourism between the two populations.
