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Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Japan |
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Speech made by His Majesty Mohammed VI,
King of Morocco,
Remarks by His Majesty the Emperor at the State Banquet
In Honor of His Majesty King
Mohammed VI I wish to extend a heartfelt welcome to His Majesty King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco, who is visiting Japan on a State Visit. It is a great pleasure for me to spend this evening here with you. Your Majesty first visited Japan in 1987 on an Official Visit in your capacity as Crown Prince at the time. My father Emperor Showa hosted a banquet at the Imperial Palace, and Your Majesty had the opportunity to visit many places in Kyoto as well. We also invited Your Majesty to the Crown Prince’s Residence on that occasion, and I fondly recall that we spent pleasant times together. I am grateful that Your Majesty attended the Funeral Ceremony of Emperor Showa two years later as Crown Prince, and Your Majesty’s brother, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Raschid, attended the Ceremony of my Accession to the Throne. From Japan, the Crown Prince as well as Prince and Princess Takamado have visited Morocco, and I am grateful for the warm hospitality Your Majesty has graciously extended to each one of them. This year, the EXPO 2005 AICHI JAPAN was held in Aichi Prefecture, and Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Salma attended the National Day event of Morocco as a Guest of the EXPO. The Empress and I pleasantly recall our meeting with the Princess at the Imperial Residence during her visit on that occasion. I am sure that the Moroccan pavilion, which won the Nature’s Wisdom Award at the EXPO, has deepened many peoples’ understanding of Morocco. Morocco and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1956, the year that Morocco ceased to be a French protectorate and became an independent country. It was around that time in my youth that I developed an interest in Morocco. Your Majesty’s grandfather, the late King Mohammed V, who, overcoming hardships and adversities including his life in exile, strove towards the goal of independence, is deeply engraved in my memory. In the course of nearly half a century since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have maintained uninterrupted relations of friendship and cooperation, and I am happy to see that exchanges in various fields such as economic and cultural are advancing. When we were Crown Prince and Crown Princess, we met every year, at the Crown Prince’s Residence, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers who were going to be dispatched overseas in that year. I recall that there were many volunteers who were to be dispatched to Morocco. Over the course of its long history, Morocco has accepted people with diverse cultural backgrounds and built the Kingdom of Morocco that exists today. Numerous buildings and archaeological ruins, including the town of Fez, have been designated as sites on the World Heritage List, and many tourists from Japan, among other countries, constantly visit Morocco. In recent years, under the guidance of Your Majesty, Morocco has been making steady achievements in both domestic and diplomatic affairs, and I wish to express my respect for the high appraisal they have received in and outside Morocco. I sincerely hope that Your Majesty’s visit to Japan will further enhance the friendly relations between our two countries. Autumn is deepening in Japan and we are now enjoying beautiful foliage. I wish that Your Majesty’s visit to Japan will be fruitful and full of lasting good memories. I would like to conclude my remarks by making a wish for the good health of Your Majesty as well as for the happiness of the In the course of nearly half a century since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have maintained uninterrupted relations of friendship and cooperation, and I am happy to see that exchanges in various fields such as economic and cultural are advancing. When we were Crown Prince and Crown Princess, we met every year, at the Crown Prince’s Residence, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers who were going to be dispatched overseas in that year. I recall that there were many volunteers who were to be dispatched to Morocco. Over the course of its long history, Morocco has accepted people with diverse cultural backgrounds and built the Kingdom of Morocco that exists today. Numerous buildings and archaeological ruins, including the town of Fez, have been designated as sites on the World Heritage List, and many tourists from Japan, among other countries, constantly visit Morocco. In recent years, under the guidance of Your Majesty, Morocco has been making steady achievements in both domestic and diplomatic affairs, and I wish to express my respect for the high appraisal they have received in and outside Morocco. I sincerely hope that Your Majesty’s visit to Japan will further enhance the friendly relations between our two countries. Autumn is deepening in Japan and we are now enjoying beautiful foliage. I wish that Your Majesty’s visit to Japan will be fruitful and full of lasting good memories. I would like to conclude my remarks by making a wish for the good health of Your Majesty as well as for the happiness of the people of Morocco. |
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