Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA) – East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has encouraged a strategic partnership between her province and the Kingdom of Morocco, spanning investment, fisheries, cultural exchange, education, and a potential sister-province agreement.
The governor discussed the initiatives while hosting a courtesy visit from Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Indonesia Redouane Houssaini at the Grahadi State Building in Surabaya on Monday (August 3).
“We discussed numerous productive potential areas for collaboration, ranging from trade, manufacturing, agriculture, and fisheries, to education, including scholarship opportunities to Morocco,” Parawansa said in a statement released here on Tuesday.
She explained that East Java holds a strategic position as a center for national economic growth and serves as the main gateway to eastern Indonesia.
Supported by a robust manufacturing industry, modern agriculture, trade, logistics, and a highly competitive workforce, the province offers strong synergies with Morocco’s economy.
“We welcome these prospective partnerships. Moving forward, we will follow up through more intensive communication so that the collaboration we build will truly benefit the people of East Java and the Kingdom of Morocco,” she said.
Parawansa added that bilateral relations between Indonesia and Morocco are built upon a strong historical foundation dating back to the Asian-African nations’ struggles for independence. These ties were further cemented by Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, during his visit to Morocco in 1960.
“Both countries share a long history built on the spirit of friendship and a shared struggle. This historical foundation serves as a powerful asset to expand cooperation across various fields today,” she noted.
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In the education sector, Parawansa highlighted the intellectual legacy of the University of al-Qarawiyyin in the Moroccan city of Fez, founded by Fatima al-Fihri and Maryam al-Fihri in 859 AD.
She said those two historical figures have long served as global inspirations for academic tradition and women’s empowerment.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Houssaini stated that East Java possesses massive economic potential for establishing a long-term partnership with Morocco.
He added that the Moroccan government is also opening scholarship opportunities for East Java students.
“We discussed numerous cooperation opportunities between Morocco and East Java in the fields of economy, trade, cultural exchange, education, and smart city development. We are also beginning to outline a cooperation framework that will serve as the foundation for a win-win partnership,” he said.
According to Houssaini, the historical and cultural proximity, along with the friendly relations between the two nations, are vital assets for strengthening future partnerships.
“We are optimistic that the relationship currently being fostered with the East Java provincial government will evolve into concrete cooperation that provides tangible benefits to the people of both Morocco and East Java,” he said.
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Translator: Willi Irawan, Uyu Liman
Editor: Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
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