Azernews.Az

BAKU – AssA-Irada presents an interview with Moroccan Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hassan Hami, another in the series of interviews with diplomats based in the country.

Q. Is there a possibility of Arab-style popular unrest in Morocco?

A. There are no grounds for a replay of the Arab-like revolutions in Morocco. We think that people have the right to request reforms and the government has to do whatever is possible. There is no problem in Morocco. We have undertaken the process of democracy for the last forty years, it’s not new. But we think in Morocco that democratic process should be undertaken step by step. It’s not a rush. People have to be given a chance to adapt.

There is no country in the world where people are happy with all decisions taken by the government and opposition. In Morocco, the process of transition started in the early 1990s. Firstly, the reforms concerned family Code, granting women more rights. Another reform tackled in Morocco was the process of human rights reconciliation. A commission was set up to study what went wrong, and the government recognized a lot of mistakes made in the past. This scrutiny is public. People express what they want to see the government do, and the government complies. As part of this process the government also holds discussions with the opposition and civil society.

There are still a lot of problems in Morocco and at times people do not agree with something, but the authorities try to take the most democratic decisions possible.

Q. How would you describe the current relations between Morocco and Azerbaijan?

A. The relations between the two countries are very good. Thanks to the leadership of His Majesty, King Mohammed VI and His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev, these relations are evolving, gaining in strength and scope.

Morocco and Azerbaijan support each other on the issue of their territorial integrity and sovereignty. We believe that the solution pertaining to the Saharan Southern Provinces of Morocco and to Nagorno Karabakh is to be reached within this framework. Negotiations should continue, and hopefully the other parties will understand that peace is more valuable than lasting frozen conflicts. We believe that international law is on our side. But above that, we are comfortable with our legitimate psychological security, which, you do agree, accounts a lot in the field of diplomacy and foreign policy.

Morocco does its best to improve its relations with neighboring states of the Maghreb. This is not easy, given the context prevailing right now. Morocco has acquired an advanced status with Europe, and is working to get other countries to follow suit. Azerbaijan is an active player in the European Neighborhood Policy. It plays a strategic and pivotal role as a supplier of energy to Europe.

Q. What is your country’s view on Azerbaijan’s relations with its neighbors?

A. Azerbaijan is pursuing a very balanced foreign policy. The country has a coherent diplomatic vision. However, it evolves in a very complex system of mutual and yet controversial interdependencies. But Azerbaijan keeps on playing its role as a major regional actor. It has the leadership, the faith and the flexibility required to fulfill this role.