King Juan Carlos lauds King Mohammed's modernization endeavors
Spanish King Juan Carlos I of Spain on Monday lauded King Mohammed VI's initiatives to make of Morocco a modern country, a reference for the Arab and Muslim world and a vanguard actor within the international community.
The Spanish king made the statement in an exchange of toasts during a dinner banquet he hosted in honor of King Mohammed VI, who started Monday a three-day official visit to the Iberian country.
King Mohammed VI incarnates the hope of a whole nation, King Juan Carlos I said, lauding the Sovereign's concerns for the least favored social layers.
The Spanish king also renewed his country's backing to Morocco's development efforts. "You can rely on Spain's backing to accomplish the historic task that destiny entrusted you with so that Morocco hold, in the coming century, the rank matching its history and prestige," he said.
King Juan Carlos highlighted the substantial progress covered by Morocco under the leadership of King Mohammed VI in the fields of human rights and basic freedoms and the sovereign's commitment to the welfare of his people.
The Spanish king underlined the need for Morocco and Spain to face up, hand in hand, the problems that go beyond the national frame and require coordination. "We have to continue to see to it our divergences are handled on the basis of balanced reciprocity of interests," he said.
King Juan Carlos added that his country looks at Morocco as "a place of investments" and not as a mere market. He recalled that more than 800 Spanish firms are operating in Morocco.
He further underlined that Madrid will continue to favor association between Morocco and the European Union and to make of it a model for the whole region.
