Argentinian news agency “Alternative Press Agency” stated that Morocco, which has recently obtained the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) “Sectoral Dialogue Partner” status, has “strengthened its position as a leading regional and African power.
In an op-ed by Argentinian international relations expert Adalberto Carlos Agozino, the agency noted that, by gaining this status with ASEAN, Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, is expanding its economic and political ties in a geopolitical framework of great importance, which paves the way for stronger and more diversified international alliances.
Agozino also stressed that Morocco, under the impetus of His Majesty the King and as part of His Majesty’s strategic vision to diversify and consolidate its partnerships at all levels, has achieved a new diplomatic success.
The author recalled that ASEAN is an international organization that promotes development and political, economic and socio-cultural cooperation.
ASEAN, founded on August 8, 1967, by five countries, which are Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, currently includes ten countries in the Southeast Asian region in addition to the founding countries, which are Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
ASEAN focuses on industrializing its members’ economies, accounting for 5.2% of global GDP, which according to the Argentinian expert, has helped reduce poverty from 47% in 1990 to 15% today.
Agozino stressed that ASEAN has developed a global network of alliances and dialogue partners, and is seen by many as an influential global power at the heart of Asia-Pacific cooperation.