LESSONS OF THE MAGHRIB

For many years this country in north-west Africa has been the subject of rivalry between the colonialist countries. Spain, France, Britain and Germany have all fought to include Morocco in their sphere of influence. At the beginning of the last century France acquired a large part of Moroccan territory and for about half a century this territory was considered a French colony. Meanwhile, the northern part of Morocco came under Spain's colonial dependence. The Moroccan people's struggle for independence bore fruit in the spring of 1956 when the colonialist countries were forced to recognize Morocco's state sovereignty. But some cities still remained subordinate to Spain.

According to Wikipedia, Morocco is a member of the UN, the Arab League and the Islamic Cooperation Organization. Morocco has not joined the African Union as a sign of protest at the inclusion in it of Western Sahara which it considers to be an integral part of its south. Today Morocco is a traditional ally of the US and France in the region.

Although Azerbaijan is not among the main foreign-political and trade-economic partners of the Kingdom of Morocco, according to Hassan Hami, that country's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Azerbaijan, the development of relations is a priority of the policy of both states. In an interview for our magazine, Hassan Hami spoke about the current level of and prospects for these relations, and also about the political processes in the Arab world.   

- Mr Ambassador, first I would like to hear your assessment of the present level of relations between Azerbaijan and Morocco…

- Relations between Morocco and Azerbaijan are good. We share common views on the way we are working together to develop relations and ensure that they are solid. Thanks to the wise rule of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev the governments of both countries spare neither time nor efforts to enhance the level of cooperation in various spheres. The aim is to justify people's expectations and also to resolve tasks for the future.

Nevertheless, it has to be admitted that our cooperation is still at the learning stage. The business community still awaits further development of the level of cooperation on the basis of legal documents. Draft agreements have been prepared for signing and this will happen in time. The signing ceremony will take place either within the framework of a joint bilateral commission or during conferences at ministerial level.

- What are the priority areas for this cooperation?

- Culture, tourism, youth and sport, questions of the family, women and children, energy and justice - these are the areas where cooperation is fruitful. We are also working in other spheres such as education, investment, trade, emergency situations, health, and so on. The political will is there. All we have to do is to turn our desires into reality.

- Twenty years have passed since relations were established between Azerbaijan and Morocco. What benefits have the sides obtained from this cooperation?

- As I have already said, political relations are at a high level. The benefit must always be mutual and complementary. I should add that the level of trust between Morocco and Azerbaijan is high and this helps us to feel comfortable in doing business with one another. This year we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Rabat and Baku. This is good and promising.

- It would also be interesting to get your opinion about the processes occurring in the Arab countries. Did they really need these changes? 

- What is happening in the Near East and North Africa is a healthy process. The countries which understood this from the very beginning are coping with the changes better. But chaotic changes threaten the whole process of political transformations everywhere and at any time.

-  In what way do you think the wave of revolutions that have occurred in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and other Arab countries could be carried over into Morocco? And how different is Morocco from the Arab countries where political changes have occurred?

- Morocco is one of those countries which have perceived changes as a normal process of life since the beginning of the 1960s. The political and economic reforms were introduced consistently, step by step. Competition in the matter of improving the political system was great and tough. This wasn't easy, but just think about today's achievements compared with neighbouring countries. Morocco submitted changes to the Constitution on a regular basis until the country received its last Constitution which paved the way to a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system. Morocco has twice witnessed a profound rotation of power in the past twenty years. In both cases the opposition parties triumphed at the elections and they were entrusted to bear responsibility. This is a unique example in the history of the developing Arab countries. The family code, the national-consultative council on human rights, the recognition of the Berber language, Morocco's multi-cultural identity, and so on, show that reforms are a process of joint efforts. The 2011 Constitution concerned itself with all this and much else besides. Recent general elections were declared by foreign observers to be fair and transparent. The new government headed by the new prime minister and the political coalition supervise everything. I think that Morocco's experience is a good example, with the help of which any country could improve its political system.

- For a long period of time Morocco was a colony and it received its independence only in 1956. What is France's influence on Morocco at the present time?

-  Some experts describe relations between our former colonial power and the new independent state as a "feudal political system", meaning that influence is still strong. The protectorate regime in Morocco lasted for 44 years. However, one needs to understand that in any event relations are not what they used to be. Today the two countries must do business with each other as separate sovereign states. Relations between Morocco and France are at a good level. France is Morocco's first trading partner and investor. Nevertheless, it should be recalled that Morocco was also colonized by Spain in the north and south and Tangier had international status. Two cities in northern Morocco are still under Spanish occupation, and Morocco is working in good faith with Spain to resolve this problem. But Morocco also has normal relations with other European countries. We are the only country outside Europe which has extended status with the European Union.

- In his book "Second Chance", the former American national security advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, wrote that the Arab countries will acquire strong economic power. Could the current changes in the Arab countries lead to this?

- The concept of power is very difficult to define. It is a combination of several factors and variables. Several Arab countries receive fairly good revenues from the sale of raw materials. Others are trying all they can to solve the tasks of development. But not a single one of them in isolation can play a big part in the international system which is complex and in which the balance of forces shifts every day. I can surmise that the changes that are now taking place might help them to reassess their political and economic models. The last 50 years have shown that economic or military potential is not enough to change reality. Cultural and psychological aspects must also be taken into account.

- Morocco recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and supports its position in the world arena. But as we have seen, in the international arena Azerbaijan is encountering double standards in this question. Why is that?

- Morocco believes in the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states and supports them. In this connection I should first and foremost mention Azerbaijan's support for Morocco's territorial integrity in connection with its province of Southern Sahara. Morocco also supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity in the question of Nagornyy Karabakh. We both believe that talks should continue to resolve these problems. As far as the question of double standards is concerned, unfortunately ethics in foreign policy are not included in the list of priority tasks. The resolution of political conflicts between states depends, first and foremost, on the main players and parties in the conflicts. This is particularly true when it comes to local regional conflicts. It would be a good thing if those making the decisions did not allow foreign interests to intervene in their bilateral conflicts.