A young King for a new millennium

By H.E. Omar Hilale

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco

The Kingdom of Morocco celebrates, on July 30, 2000, its national day, which coincides with the first anniversary of the accession to the throne of His Majesty The King Mohamed VI, following the passing of His August Father the late King Hassan II, May the Almighty God rest His Soul in eternal peace, who deserves a tremendous credit for his meritorious achievements to His nation. As such, this major celebration is of a special significance to the entire Moroccan people as it is also an auspicious occasion through which the Moroccan people renew the traditional sacred act of allegiance "BEIA" that ties the people of Morocco to the Alaouite Dynasty.

This commemoration sheds light on the union of the two spirits: the spirit of a King and that of His people, spirits which are complementary, live in total harmony and perfect symbiosis and constitute a dynamic force geared entirely toward the development of the country in all the fields.

His Majesty King Mohamed VI is the 23rd Sovereign of the Alaouite Dynasty, which can be traced back to the Prophet Mohamed (SAW), as He is in the direct line of descent from Sindan Ali Ibnu Abi Talib from the Prophet's daughter, Lalla Fatima Zahra. This dynasty has been ruling Morocco for five centuries.

His Majesty is the Commander of the faithful, the supreme representative of the nation, the symbol of its unity, and the custodian of its future and of the continuity of the state.

Usually in periods of change, there is an inevitable uncertainty about the outcome. But luckily for Morocco, the changes were embraced to create other positive benefits for the country, putting it on the threshold of new opportunities and promising prospects.

In fact, no sooner had His Majesty acceded to the throne of his glorious ancestors, than He threw Himself wholeheartedly and vigorously into His task, inspiring, thus, in his people a feeling of pride and confidence in his ability to meet the challenges of change and bring to His country the gift of the energy, enthusiasm and the spirit typical of youth motivated by high ideals.

Similarly, from the outset, He acted, with His Soul and Conscience, and with the prints of His personality and His distinctive style, bringing, thus, the spirit of his era, the touches of his generation -- which constitutes the great majority of the Moroccan population -- coupled with a new approach and a personalized manner in the management of the State affairs.

Likewise, since His accession to the throng, His Majesty has not only distinguish Himself as a great leader of proven ability, perspicacity, far-sightedness, wisdom, so remarkably prepared by His illustrious Father, for the accomplishment of glorious deeds for His country.

In this regard, and for the sake of conciseness, it is worth mentioning, as a case in point, that His Majesty spared no effort in setting an ambitious series of goals in the political, economic and social fields and reinforcing the sound bases established by His late Father, King Hassan II. These bases which aim at the pursuit of the course of development, the consolidation of the democratic institutions and the state of Law, the defense of human rights and the enhancement of an internationally competitive economy in order to enable Morocco to head, with great confidence, to meet the multiple challenges of the new millennium and the globalization era.

Furthermore, His Majesty has given voice to his strong commitment to safeguard the territorial integrity of Morocco and benefit our brothers and sisters in the southern provinces from an ambitious investment program covering different sectors. He proceeded to the creation of a Follow-up Royal Committee for the Saharan Affairs with the purpose to expand the field of the management of local affairs to the Sahrawi people within the framework of regionalization and to enable them to contribute to the battle of development, modernization and democracy. He, likewise, decided to reactivate the Consultative Council for the Saharan Affairs, the members of which are elected, for the first time, at a universal suffrage. He has, also reiterated the commitment of Morocco in favor of a referendum with the condition that it must be fair, just and nondiscriminatory and with the participation of all the sons of our southern provinces.

His Majesty shines more brightly with a special keenness in poverty alleviation, as clearly illustrated by His endeavors to breathe a new life into the Mohamed V Solidarity Foundation, a body dedicated to meet the needs of those living in poverty, social seclusion or disability. In this regard, He instructed the government to link the combat of poverty with improved education and training program.

On the diplomatic level, He supported the moves aiming at improving unity among the countries of the Arab Maghred and consolidating the political and economic relations as well as the solidarity with the African continent, the fact which strengthened Morocco's African vocation. He also reiterated his determination to support the search for peace in the Middle-East and for fostering of further ties with African nations as well as with European, American and Asian countries.

This is, in fact, not queer for a graduate of the Hassan II's School, a school which recommends tolerant cultural identity, open nationalism, political courage and advocates the perfection and selflessness at work for the improvement of the welfare state of the people, the attachment to the universal values and principles, the promotion of international peace, human rights and brotherhood between the peoples.

The consensus around the Constitutional Monarchy is the guarantor of the accession of Morocco to the third millennium with the best assets. His Majesty is, today, the living expression of this consensus by His symbol, His personal stature, His skills as well as by His strong will for the country's modernization. The challenges for Morocco in the beginning of this new century are numerous and exhilarating. His Majesty's vision for the new Morocco is already underway thanks to the support of the Moroccan people who unanimously declared their allegiance as well as their commitment, and solidarity with His Majesty the King.

Given his background, Morocco will head, with full footsteps foremost in modernity and continue to be a democratic headlight in the land of Islam and an example of a continental success against the throes of economic and human underdevelopment.

As far as the relations between Morocco and Indonesia are concerned, they have always been excellent. A mutual feeling of brotherhood prevails, making the two nations feel close to each other notwithstanding the geographical remoteness. These close bonds are based on their sharing of the same religion and their belief in the same cultural and political values. Moreover, both countries adopt a common perception on the main international issues, within the international forums where a close concertedness is traditionally followed by the two parties as well as in the framework of the OIC and NAM in which they are both active members.

Morocco and Indonesia have the chance to enter the new millennium with a new leadership, reputed for its outstanding commitment to the respect of human rights and democratic values, the consolidation of the state of law, the improvement of the welfare state of their people through the reinforcement of the economic development and the establishment of a competitive business environment.