VZCZCXYZ0002
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #2481/01 3471337
ZNY CCCCC ZZH (CCY ADDED CAPTION ADX6DCBBD/MSI4950 510)
O 131337Z DEC 05
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2270
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 3605
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 2685
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 3911
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0281
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA PRIORITY 0966
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0408
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 002481 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, IO/UNP, EAP 
 
C O R R E C T E D  COPY - (ADDED CAPTION) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2010 
TAGS: MO PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: THE KING IN JAPAN:  MOROCCO CROSSES THE ASIAN 
FRONTIER 
 
 
Classified By: Poloff Marcel Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  Summary:  King Mohammed VI traveled to Japan from 
November 27-30, his first trip to Japan since assuming the 
throne in 1999.  During the visit, the King emphasized the 
warm relations between the two countries, called on business 
communities to boost investment, and highlighted Japan's 
active involvement in Moroccan development projects. 
Although largely appearing like a "friendship visit," the 
King managed to gain a 10 billion yen (approximately USD 83 
million) pledge for development loans and grants from Japan. 
Summarizing the King's visit to Japan, Deputy FM Fassi Fihri 
told the Ambassador December 1 that Morocco wanted to give 
the relationship between the two countries a stronger 
bilateral flavor.  King Mohammed signaled Moroccan support 
for a Japanese seat on the UN Security Council.  Japan's 
Ambassador to Morocco noted that the visit was an important 
opportunity for dialogue and allowed Japan to reaffirm its 
resolve to support Moroccan development efforts.  End Summary. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Push for Increased Bilateral Relations 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) At the invitation of Emperor Akihito, King Mohammed 
VI paid an official visit to Japan November 27-30 (NB: This 
marked the first visit to Japan by a Moroccan monarch. 
Princess Lalla Salma, however, visited Japan in July to 
inaugurate Morocco's exhibition at the 2005 World Expo).  At 
an official dinner hosted November 28 by the Emperor and 
Empress, King Mohammed, recalling his first visit to Japan as 
Prince in 1987, expressed his deep gratitude for the warm 
relations Japan and Morocco enjoy politically, economically, 
and culturally.  The King called on Moroccan and Japanese 
business communities to promote and boost investment in order 
to "match the dynamism of the public sector."  The King also 
commended the Japanese government's active support of 
development projects in Morocco. 
 
¶3.  (U) The King was accompanied by a delegation of Moroccan 
senior officials, including Foreign Minister Benaissa, royal 
advisors Abdelaziz Meziane Belfkih and Mohamed Moatassim, 
Interior Minister Delegate Fouad Ali Al Himma, as well as the 
Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, Equipment and Transport, 
and Industry and Trade. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Japan Pledges More Development Assistance 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) During his November 29 meeting with Prime Minister 
Junichiro Koizumi, who expressed his government's strong 
support for the King's National Initiative for Human 
Development (INDH), King Mohammed won pledges from the 
Japanese government for 10 billion yen (approximately USD 83 
million) in development loans and grants.  According to press 
reports, the official development assistance includes 9.46 
billion yen (approximately USD 79 million) in loans earmarked 
for sewage and rural power projects, as well as a 500 million 
yen (USD 4 million) grant for unspecified purposes.  Japan 
also plans to commit up to 46.1 million yen (USD 385,000) for 
sound, lighting and audiovisual equipment for Morocco's 
National Library. 
 
¶5.  (U) Morocco and Japan inked agreements on political 
consultation and the promotion of cultural exchange.  The two 
sides also expressed their satisfaction with the decision, 
effective January 1, 2006, to waive visa requirements for 
Moroccan and Japanese citizens holding diplomatic or official 
passports on a reciprocal basis. 
 
¶6.  (U) In addition to meeting with the Emperor and Prime 
Minister, King Mohammed paid a courtesy visit to Crown Prince 
Naruhito and the Japanese parliament where he met with the 
speakers of the House of Representatives and House of 
Advisors. 
 
------------------------------- 
Eye Towards African Development 
------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) On the multilateral front, the King highlighted on 
several occasions throughout his trip Morocco's eagerness to 
establish, "within the framework of the Tokyo International 
Conference on African Development," a trilateral 
 
Moroccan-Japanese-African cooperation mechanism to advance 
living conditions in Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan 
Africa.  (Comment: Morocco, with Japan's support, hopes this 
mechanism will aid in the promotion of South-South 
Cooperation in Africa. End Comment.) 
 
------------------ 
Views from the MFA 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  (C) Deputy FM Taieb Fassi Fihri told the Ambassador 
December 1 that a key objective for the GOM was to diversify 
political and economic cooperation beyond traditional allies 
such as the US and Europe.  The King's visit had been 
postponed on two other occasions; Japan had proposed the 
visit take place prior to the anniversary meeting of the 
Barcelona Process in November, but that was not possible.  He 
noted that Japan was Morocco's second largest benefactor in 
terms of development assistance and provided support "without 
the complexity of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)." 
Morocco, in turn, supported Japan's quest for a seat on the 
Security Council; that was hinted at, Fassi Fihri said, in 
the King's reference in public remarks to "helping Japan play 
its international role."  Japan's neighbors, of course, were 
less enthusiastic about a UN seat for Japan, Fassi Fihri 
commented; indeed, Morocco did not favor a seat for India 
without Pakistan or for South Africa without Morocco to 
represent Africa.  Summarizing the visit, Fassi Fihri said 
Morocco wanted to give the relationship between the two 
countries a stronger bilateral flavor. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Additional Japanese Development Aid 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) On December 9, the Japanese Embassy in Rabat 
announced the Japanese government granted approximately USD 
713,000 in public aid to twelve Moroccan associations 
operating in the fields of water supply, road infrastructure, 
education, social welfare, and agriculture. (NB: This aid is 
apparently not tied to the grants won by the King during his 
visit.)  Recalling King Mohammed's visit to Japan, the 
Japanese Ambassador to Rabat, Seigi Hinata, noted that the 
visit was an important opportunity for dialogue that allowed 
the Japanese government to reaffirm its resolve to support 
Moroccan efforts for social, economic, and cultural 
development. 
 
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Comment 
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¶10.  (C) King Mohammed's visit to Japan helps propel Morocco 
across the Asian frontier and cements ties between two royal 
families.  Japan is an important benefactor for Morocco, and 
Japanese assistance helps diversify Morocco's strongest 
financial backers, which are the Gulf countries.  With its 
focus on aid, the Japan visit also is also somewhat of a 
departure from other travel the King has undertaken in the 
last year -- South America and a number of African countries 
-- where the Western Sahara issue has been at the top of the 
agenda. 
Riley