Moroccan Ambassador Recalls Sukarno's Historic Visit During Meeting with Megawati
The good relations between Indonesia and Morocco stretch back to President Sukarno’s visit to Rabat on 2 May 1960, when he was personally welcomed by King Mohammed V in a historic encounter.
To commemorate that visit and Indonesia’s support for the independence of African nations, as demonstrated at the Asian-African Conference in Bandung in 1955, the King of Morocco immortalised Sukarno’s name as one of the main streets in the capital Rabat, known as Rue Soukarno.
That story was recounted by the Moroccan Ambassador to Indonesia, Redouane Houssaini, during a dialogue with Indonesia’s fifth president and General Chairperson of the PDIP Central Executive Board, Megawati Soekarnoputri, at her residence in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Monday, 20 July.
According to Ambassador Houssaini, the location of the Sukarno street is very well known in Rabat. “It is close to the parliament building, so the street is very famous. It is a token of Morocco’s affection,” he said.
The Ambassador then extended an invitation to Megawati to visit the country colloquially known as ‘Magribi’ (the west, where the sun sets). “I wish and hope that Ibu Megawati can visit Morocco. We will prepare a programme befitting her,” said Ambassador Houssaini.
He said the two countries share many similarities and have long maintained bilateral cooperation in various fields, including trade, economy, culture and education. “There are a number of Indonesian students studying at one of the oldest universities in the world, founded in Morocco in the ninth century by the wealthy Fatima al-Fihri, particularly in Islamic and Arabic studies,” he said.
Still amid the World Cup atmosphere, the Moroccan Ambassador also explained that Morocco will co-host the World Cup in 2030. The two figures also discussed green energy, the effects of global warming, food security and other pressing topics. On that occasion, the Ambassador presented a framed photograph of Sukarno’s visit to Morocco as a memento.
Megawati said that, as far as she knew, many Indonesian students pursue their education in Morocco in Islamic and Arabic studies. Morocco, she said, is a relatively open country, providing dozens of scholarships each year for Indonesians to study there.
“As a Muslim country, Morocco is relatively more open compared to Islamic countries in the Middle East and Africa,” said Megawati. She also expressed her hope that the countries of Asia and Africa could gather once more and play a role as a third world force. “When it was first established only 26 countries took part; today it could certainly be joined by more than 100 countries from Asia and Africa,” she hoped.
Megawati expressed her gratitude for the visit and the Ambassador’s gift. “Thank you very much,” she said, accompanied at the meeting by PDIP Central Executive Board members Ahmad Basarah and Yasonna Laoly, as well as the party’s Foreign Affairs Director, Hanjaya Setiawan.