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　　　At the invitation of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Moroccan Ambassador to Japan Mr. Samir Arrour gave a lecture on the topics detailed below concerning the domestic politics and foreign policy of the Kingdom of Morocco, in Tokyo on Wednesday, November 6, 2014

　　　Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1956, Japan and Morocco have enjoyed a happy relationship. On the economic front, cooperation between the two countries takes place in various areas: trade, agriculture, vocational training, water and energy sectors and technical assistance from Japan to sub-Saharan countries, taking advantage of the strategic location of Morocco within the African continent. At the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-V) which was held in Yokohama in early June, the Japanese government expressed its support for the stabilization of the South Sahara desert, and it is expected that cooperation with Morocco will become increasingly important in the future.

　　　Though Morocco is thought to have been influenced relatively little by the Arab Spring, the 'February 20th Movement', organized in February 2011 through the social networking website Facebook, initiated nationwide demonstrations, seeking elimination of corruption, adoption of constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, independence of the judiciary, and gender equality.
In response, King Muhammad VI announced constitutional revision as a comprehensive reform, and the amendment of the Constitution went into effect by the national referendum. In addition, there are various reforms implemented at the initiative of the King himself.

　　　In light of the present circumstances, Ambassador Arrour spoke on the latest situation in Morocco and ongoing progress in democratization, as well as topics including regional and international level.