Cultural Cooperation between Morocco and Vietnam

26/03/2021 3320

Historical cultural relations between Morocco and Vietnam are founded on the mutual respect and better understanding that exists between the two countries. Moroccan-Vietnamese bilateral cultural relations are based on the Cultural Cooperation Agreements and Memorandums of understanding, in effect and the relevant Cultural Exchange Programs.

The Embassy of the kingdom of Morocco cooperate with experts from all areas of the Vietnamese cultural scene to enable Moroccan artists to take part in cultural events in Vietnam and to encourage the exchange between Moroccan and Vietnamese cultural representatives. The Embassy encourage contacts between Moroccan and Vietnamese representatives of the cultural scene and inform experts about the cultural networks in both countries.

Agreements and MoU signed in the cultural field:

1. Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement, signed in August 8, 2006;

2. Press Cooperation Agreement between MAP (Maghreb Arab Press) and the Vietnam News Agency (AVI) signed in July 2008;

3. Tourism Cooperation Agreement between Morocco and Vietnam ministries of tourism signed in Hanoi, in June 2012;

4. Memorandum of Understanding between Mohammed V University of Rabat and the National University of Vietnam, signed on March 28, 2017 in Hanoi;

5. Memorandum of Understanding between the Center for Studies and Research in the Social Sciences and the Institute of African and Middle Eastern Studies (IAMES), signed on March 28, 2017 in Hanoi.

Education cooperation and scholarship:

The Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) has allocated a quota of 10 teaching scholarships to Vietnamese students. The total number of Vietnamese studying in different universities in Morocco since 2014 reach 20 students.

For its side, The Vietnamese government provides Morocco with 5 scholarships for university, post-graduate and short-term training.

These scholarships provide graduates from all fields with the opportunity to pursue doctoral or postdoctoral research in Morocco at universities or recognized research institutions.

The Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI): (http://www.amci.ma/)

The Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), headquartered in Rabat, was created in 1986 as a dynamic, flexible and efficient tool for executing the Kingdom's foreign cooperation policy.

The AMCI carries out its actions in close coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and in partnership with all the ministerial departments and the Moroccan public institutions concerned.

The mission of AMCI is to develop, expand and strengthen all cultural, scientific, technical and economic relations with partner countries, particularly in the context of South-South cooperation.

           The AMCI has the responsibility for implementing the particular following actions:

1.      Cultural and scientific cooperation actions;

2.      Technical cooperation actions;

3.      Actions relating to the implementation of projects of an economic and social nature;

4.      Humanitarian actions.

Cultural activities of the Embassy:

1. Seminar on “Shared Historical Memory between Morocco and Vietnam” (27th March, 2017)

The Moroccan Embassy in Hanoi, in cooperation with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, hold a seminar about the historical relations between Morocco and Vietnam, in Hanoi, on 27th March, 2017, under the thematic “Shared Historical Memory between Morocco and Vietnam”.

The seminar was held in the framework of historical relations between Morocco and Vietnam, and within the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the National University of Hanoi and Mohamed V University of Rabat, which was signed, on 28th March, 2017.

This seminar was also an opportunity to contribute to address the 3 following sections: “Historical relations between Morocco and Vietnam: overview and perspectives”; “Historical ties between Vietnam Veterans Association (VVA) and High Commission for Former Resistance and former Members of Liberation Army”; “Promotion of historical shared memory in universities academic programs”.

The seminar was marked by the attendance of senior officials, Ambassadors, professors, and students.

1. International Day of the Arabic Language (December, 18 2016 Hanoi):

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Hanoi participated by the establishment of a stand about the history and the place of Arabic as official language Morocco, on the occasion of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the International Day of Arabic Language at the National University of Hanoi http://en.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/ .

2. Day of the Francophonie in Vietnam (March, 2017)

His excellency Mr. Azzeddine FARHANE, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Vietnam, in his capacity of vice-president of GADIF (Group of Embassies, Delegations and Francophone Institutions in Vietnam) in Hanoi, actively participated in the activities organized by the Regional Office of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) for Asia and the Pacific in Hanoi. https://www.francophonie.org/Vietnam.html

Screening of two Moroccan movies:

During the film festival, the Embassy has screened two Moroccan films, as part of the Francophone Film Festival, "La Grande Villa" and "The Red Scarf".

Moreover, the Embassy also took part in the cultural day of the National University of Hanoi, with a stand that presents the tourist and cultural potential of Morocco, this cultural event entitled "Cultural Colors" was jointly organized by the University of Languages and International Studies and the Vietnamese-French Friendship Association of Hanoi, with the support of the Group of Embassies, Delegations and Institutions Francophones in Vietnam (GADIF) and various international organizations.

3. Presentation of H.E the Ambassador on "South-South and Tripartite Cooperation of Morocco" (4th and 5th May 2017, Hanoi).

Within the framework of a regional consultation of the International Organization of the Francophonie, on the "Project of Network of Francophone actors for the South-South and Tripartite Cooperation", organized by the regional office of the OIF for Asia and the Pacific in Hanoi, HE Azzeddine Farhane, Ambassador of His Majesty the King of Morocco in Vietnam, made a presentation on Friday, May 05, 2017, on "South-South and Tripartite Cooperation of Morocco".https://www.lecourrier.vn/reseau-des-acteurs-francophones-pour-la-cooperation-sud-sud-et-tripartite/406774.html

This presentation focused on the following areas; The international context of new dynamic partnerships; Morocco's doctrine of South-South and Tripartite Cooperation and Africa as a priority for Promoting South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation in Morocco's African Foreign Policy.

With regard to the new dynamic partnership, the Ambassador of Morocco emphasized the crisis of North-South cooperation, which appear at three levels: Public Aid for Development, Deficiency of the instruments of cooperation, crisis of the international financial institutions.

The second point of this presentation, was articulated around the strategic place of the South-South and Tripartite cooperation for Morocco, which manifests itself through the active solidarity with countries of the South as showed by the numerous visits made by His Majesty the King Mohammed VI in Africa, the strengthening of complementarity and integration initiatives and the effective implementation of all international commitments (the Millennium Development Goals end, defense of the interests of developing countries).

The presentation highlighted that Morocco, which is the largest investor in the West African region, and the second largest African investor in Africa, has signed more than 3,200 bilateral agreements with its African partners, and proceeded to awarding more than 18,000 scholarships to African students and officers from 42 countries at universities and training centers inMorocco.

4. Meeting of the Network of Presidents of ASEAN Universities (AUN) (on 18 July 2017, Nha Trang, Viet Nam)

Morocco took part, as first Arabic and African country, in the annual meeting of the Network of Presidents of ASEAN Universities (AUN), http://www.aunsec.org/aunrectors.php which took place from 17 to 19 July 2017 in the city of Nha Trang (South Vietnam), in the presence of the Presidents and Rectors of the universities of the ten ASEAN member countries.

This network was created in 1995, and aims to promote relations between universities in the region through training exchanges and quality assessment of academic programs of ASEAN member countries.

During this meeting, Prof. Nadia MOTII, Advisor to Mr. Saaid Amzazi, President of Mohammed V University in Rabat, in charge of International Affairs made a statement on behalf of Mr. Saaid Amzazi, on the genesis, the mission, the academic and scientific program, as well as the networking of Mohammed V University of Rabat.

She also presented the contribution of Mohammed V University to the strengthening of South-South cooperation, in the field of academic and scientific research, and the prospects for academic cooperation in the Afro-Asian space.

It should be noted that, on 6 September 2016, Morocco acceded to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation as part of its opening on new geographical areas and the diversification of its partnerships.

5.  The 20th anniversary of the seventh Francophone Summit hosted by Vietnam in 1997 "Twenty Years of La Francophonie in Asia-Pacific (1997/2017): Retrospective and Prospective".( November 16, 2017, Hanoi)

The Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam organized, from November 14 to 16, 2017, in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), an international conference entitled "Twenty Years of La Francophonie in Asia-Pacific (1997/2017): Retrospective and Prospective". https://www.francophonie.org/BRAP-Sommet-Hanoi-20-ans-48311.html

On this occasion, His Excellency Mr. Ambassador has chaired with Ms. Ton Nu Thi Ninh, former Ambassador of Vietnam to the EU, the second session entitled "La Francophonie in Asia-Pacific: State of play, perspectives and recommendations", and presented also a communication, on the theme "Morocco and Tripartite Cooperation in the Space of La Francophonie", which focused on the following points:

1. North-South cooperation: review situation

2. South-South and tripartite cooperation one of the heart pillars of global initiatives to eradicate poverty;

3. Approach, principles and modes of intervention of the OIF, in the field of tripartite cooperation;

4. Morocco's doctrine of tripartite cooperation with French-speaking countries, as well as the dynamic role of AMCI in this area.