King Mohammed VI reinforces Morocco's national values
Morocco continues to progress by leaps and bounds in various fields since Mohammed VI came to the throne in 1999, and the North African country is one of the most important political actors today.
Nourdine Mouati, Audakia consultant and contributor to the magazine Atalayar, visited the microphones of Onda Madrid's "De Cara al Mundo" programme to analyse in depth all the details of the speech delivered by King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the celebration of the Feast of the Throne, which this year commemorated the 24th anniversary of the Alawite monarch's accession to the throne.
Because of the content of the King's message, and all the activities surrounding it, such as the succession of Prince Moualy El Hassan, this year's Feast of the Throne takes on greater significance and importance than in previous years.
Held every 30 July for the past 24 years, Moroccans, both inside and outside the country, have been celebrating the Feast of the Throne. A very important event, as His Majesty the King delivers a crucial speech to address issues of great relevance to the nation.
On this occasion, His Majesty the King delivered a clarifying speech and a glimpse of the way forward for the country in the coming years. I would highlight three key themes, not His Majesty's speech. The theme of youth, the theme of green hydrogen and social justice, with a cross-cutting idea that has already been expressed in several articles, of seriousness, to undertake all projects. And with an important mention of the founding values of the nation-state of the Kingdom of Morocco for more than twelve centuries.
Values based on or attached to our cultural and religious identity, the preservation of unity and territorial integration, the safeguarding of the two family values and the consolidation of a development model opposed to social justice. These are the values on which the nation of the Kingdom of Morocco is based and which will be preserved in the future by His Highness Prince Moulay El Hassan, who gained notoriety during this year's festivities and whose succession in Morocco is guaranteed.
King Mohammed VI once again insists on restoring relations. Once again, a hand outstretched to Algeria, to the Algerian people. It is a question of negotiating or restoring relations between the two main countries of North Africa.
His Majesty has always insisted on the need for an agreement that would allow the opening of the borders between the two countries and harmony between the two governments. It is an outstretched hand to Morocco that insists on the idea that we are brothers and we must work together. Now, as they say, the ball is not with the Algerian leaders. We have no problem with the Algerian people, is a brotherly people, but the Algerian leaders, unfortunately, continue to insist on this hostile view towards Morocco in the West. His Majesty has been present in all the speeches over the last two years, he insisted on the need to be present, to have an agreement with the Algerian government, to open the borders and to work together for a future for all the people. But finally, we hope that Algeria's leaders, the military junta that runs Algeria, will know how to provoke this message and dignify themselves to negotiate.
There is no doubt whatsoever about the loyalty and support that the Crown Prince, the first-born Moulay El Hassan, received from all Moroccan institutions, I think it is a clarifying and convincing fact about where the lines of succession are going in the Moroccan kingdom, especially in terms of stability, legal certainty, etc.
Yes, Mohammed VI is in good health, although he has his ailments. And the succession is guaranteed by the mere fact that, in Morocco, the Monarchy is not just about the head of state, it is a national symbol, a symbol of unity among all the inhabitants of this nation, which is the Kingdom of Morocco, both in the north, from Tangier, to Lagüira in the south. He is the Commander of the Believers, that is to say, His Majesty King Mohammed VI has authority even in countries outside the national scope of the Kingdom of Morocco. He is the Commander of the Believers, and there are several religious brotherhoods at the level of the African continent that follow him. He is a very important symbol.
He also chaired the Al-Quds Committee on Jerusalem. Exactly the same. At the level of the Muslim world, Morocco plays a very important role in preserving the multi-religious character of Jerusalem Quds, and through the Beit Ma'al Al-Quds agency, which is mainly funded by the Moroccan government, which funds His Majesty The King, and which is helping Palestinians in Jerusalem mainly to rehabilitate houses, build schools and hospitals.
Morocco is a very important player in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and continues to insist on the two nations living side by side in peace. And His Majesty made this clear in his message to Prime Minister Netanyahu, the head of the Israeli government, in which, in addition to thanking Israel for recognising Morocco's full sovereignty over its southern provinces, over its Moroccan Sahara, he also insisted that progress must be made in the peace process, in the process of bringing the two nations, Palestine and Israel, to coexist in peace.
In Tetouan, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, top military leaders, the president of the Congress and Senate and the leaders of the twelve regions expressed the support and loyalty of all Moroccan institutions to the successor, the crown prince, which has become clear and convincing.
The Alawite dynasty has reigned for the past centuries and is a symbol of unity among the entire Moroccan nation. There will be no problems in the succession. In recent years, we have seen the greatest growth in the country. Big companies are establishing themselves in the country, there is legal security, stability and it will not change.
Morocco has always been a very stable nation because it is a historic nation, because the ties that bind the people to their monarchy are very strong ties, and I can attest to that, I am telling the truth. With regard to the Spanish businessmen who are investing in Morocco, for example, the other day I was at the Throne Party at the Moroccan Embassy in Madrid and I had the opportunity to speak with several important businessmen, including Jorge Cosmen, the president of the Alsa group, and Antonio Paredes, the president of the Vectalia group, who has major projects in Morocco, and they insisted on this. Morocco is the most stable nation in Africa, it is the nation that offers the most investment opportunities and they were very happy to continue to bet on Morocco.
In other words, reality stands up to the rumours of the yellow press and other sectors related to the Polisario Front terrorists; reality in the end disproves all these lies and all these false news about the succession or instability of Morocco. Morocco is the most solvent and stable country in the whole of North Africa and the whole of Africa, and I can testify to this in foreign investments.
You were at the reception for the Moroccan ambassador to Spain, Karima Benyaich. In Atalayar you could read the headline "We celebrate 24 years of evolution, modernity and social justice".
Yes, the three values that His Majesty insisted on in his speech. He also made a very important mention of the joint bid between Spain, Portugal and Morocco for the World Cup, which will surely unite the two continents and facilitate more collaboration and cooperation between the two coasts of the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Embassy party was a very important event in which Her Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Spain, Karima Benyaich, highlighted the great achievements of the strategic alliance between Spain and Morocco.
Furthermore, what I would highlight most about this event, in addition to the presence of the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of the Interior of the current Spanish Government, was the important representation of generals and commanders of the security forces and the Ministry of Defence, with the presence, which surprised me and is positive, of senior commanders of the Guardia Civil and the National Police; this attests to the great understanding and collaboration in areas as important as security and defence between the two countries. This is a fact to be highlighted. Everyone praised the great cooperation that exists between the security forces of both countries on all issues. And that should also be highlighted.
The King's commitment to sport pays off. We saw the success of the boys in the World Cup, and now the girls have qualified for the next round of the women's World Cup in a historic match, as the reports say. I think it is a question of national identity and also of international recognition, because through football and sport, the commitment that the King and his entourage have made to sport, Morocco is receiving many benefits, not only sporting, but also political and, dare I say it, economic.
Yes, yes, we must highlight the commitment to football since His Majesty the King acceded to the throne 24 years ago, because he has always given great importance to youth and sport. And the creation of the Mohammed VI Football Academy was one of the most transformative projects, because it allowed the consolidation of Moroccan talent on the football field, of great players who came out of that school.
Here we have the results. We had a great joy with the women's national football team of the Kingdom of Morocco and that was the first Arab team and the first team from the African continent to reach the round of 16 of a World Cup. And that makes us happy and it is also a joy at the level of the African continent. We are Africans, we are an African country committed to Africa and, in reality, we are worthy representatives of the great potential, of the talent that this continent harbours.
