Moroccan Ambassador seeks close regional ties

“Morocco is the only Arab and North African country that has diplomatic missions in the Caribbean Region,” he said.

Kadmiri, who on Tuesday presented letters of credence to President Anthony Carmona at the Office of the President, St Ann’s, has also served Morocco as a diplomat in the Pacific islands.

The diplomat who is based in St Lucia, said that over the last year since he assumed duties, he has presented credentials to eight Caribbean countries apart from St Lucia.

As a token of appreciation, Carmona presented to Kadmiri the book “A walk back in time __ Snapshots of the History of Trinidad and Tobago” by Angelo Bissessarsingh to remind him, “of the day he presented his credentials.” Speaking mainly to Carmona’s guests which included this year’s SE A top student Lexi Balchan, secondary school students and two senior journalists, Kadmiri said Morocco is looking forward to cooperating with TT and other Caribbean countries in a number of areas including tourism and educational opportunities.

His country, he said, is the leading producer of phosphate and fertilisers in the world in both quality and quantity.

With access to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in North Africa, he said that these bodies of water provide Morocco with the opportunity to develop sea industries, and tourism like most Caribbean countries.

Proud of their tourism achievements, he said, that in 2016 the country had a little less than 11 million tourists, and their goal now is to attract 20 million by 2021.

Morocco was economically and politically stable with a coalition government in place, he said. The country, which believes in South-South cooperation, he told the students, is very important to the Caribbean region.

“When you go back home, see where Morocco is located on the world map. We have a lot of affinity that we share with the Caribbean.”