On the occasion of the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the accession of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the Throne of His Glorious Ancestors,

the Embassy of Morocco in Bulgaria organized, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, a big reception in Sofia ("Aula Maxima" the celebrating Room of the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy of Sofia), which was attended by more than 650 guests, despite the summer vacation period. Among them were ministers and deputy ministers, MPs and MEPs, members of the Bulgaria-Morocco Friendship Group in the 50th National Assembly, mayors and deputy mayors, ambassadors and diplomats, politicians, senior officials from the state administration, journalists, artists, teachers, representatives of religious communities, friends.

The start of the official ceremony was given by H. E. Ms. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Republic of Bulgaria, and Assoc. Dr. Arch. Tsvetelina Daskalova-Ivanova, Director of the Center for International Relations and Mobility, and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Architecture of University of the Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia.

Assoc. Dr. Arch. Tsvetelina Daskalova-Ivanova emphasized the importance of the celebration of the Thrône Day for the Moroccan people, as well as the fact that we are celebrating 63 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Morocco. She emphasizes on the signed conventions at the beginning of 2024, by H. E. Mrs. Maria Gabriel, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and by H. E. Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, three bilateral documents: a Joint Political Declaration covering many areas, an Agreement on the production and exchange of films and a Three-Year Cooperation Programme in the fields of education, research, culture, communication, youth and sports. And declared: "It is an honor for us today to commemorate, together, in this beautiful and spacious "Aula Maxima" Hall of the largest University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Bulgaria, which has developed numerous partnerships with Moroccan universities, faculties and "grandes écoles", this 25th Anniversary of the enthronement of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who established education in His country as an essential lever for sustainable development, in its various social, economic, cultural and environmental components."

After her welcome, the guests listened to the national anthems of Morocco and Bulgaria, and then the floor was given to H. E. Mrs. Zakia El Midaoui. The Ambassador of Morocco thanked those present for responding in such large numbers to her invitation to share the joy of the Moroccan people, who are celebrating both inside and outside the Kingdom the 25th anniversary of the ascension of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the Throne of his glorious ancestors. Her entire speech, due to its importance, we publish it separately and you can read it HERE.

Greetings to His Majesty King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the celebration of a quarter century of his reign on behalf of the Bulgarian academic community were also addressed by Prof. Dr. Elena Peneva, Vice-Rector for Research and Development, Quality and Accreditation of the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy.

Then, on stage, the famous Bulgarian folklorist - Prof. Dr. Nikolay Nikov, President of the International Academy of the United Bulgarians (IAOB), and Dr. Ivan Simeonov, Vice-President of the same Academy, presented an honorary diploma and a priceless historical Bulgarian gift to the ambassador Zakia El Midaoui. The diploma of honor was given to her as an "Ambassador of culture", since already upon her arrival in Bulgaria she made a great contribution to the enrichment of its cultural life, promoting the richness and diversity of Moroccan culture in all its forms. And the gift was a traditional Bulgarian vest, 200 years old, from a priceless collection. Embroidered with gold thread /of Arab and Muslim origin/, it was a symbol of power and dignity for women. It comes from ancient Bulgarian mythology and was worn only on holidays, it was sacred. In fact, in terms of sacredness, the vest is equivalent to the epitrachyl of the priests. It originates from the former Bulgarian territory around the town of Debar, today located on the border between the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania. During the awarding of the vest, Prof. Dr. Nikolay Nikov emphasized, to the applause of the guests, that this second distinction was awarded to the Moroccan diplomat for her outstanding contribution to the promotion of the cultural and scientific exchange of traditional spiritual values ​​between the Bulgarian and Moroccan people, an indisputable guarantee of mutual understanding, trust and friendship. "We believe in the longevity of the friendship between Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Morocco, because Ambassador Zakia El Midawi, wherever she sets foot, leaves a trace, and whatever she catches, blossoms and bears fruit," concluded the Professor.

Accepting the valuable gift, Her Excellency shared that she was honored to receive this special award in tribute to the activities she had the privilege of organizing with pleasure on Bulgarian soil and promised to jealously guard this precious vest among her fondest memories from Bulgaria. She added that where politics fails, culture can succeed as it helps build bridges between civilizations, cultures, nations and religions.

The cultural part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Feast of the Throne contained performances by the young dancers from the dance formation "Sophistik-Zivo", with the main choreographer and director Mrs. Elina Topalska, electronic music recorded by Manuela Boncheva, associate professor of ethnomusicology and world music at the National Academy of Music, a parade of Moroccan kaftans and takshitas. Guests at the event also enjoyed an exhibition of photographs and paintings representing Morocco in all its splendor. Located in the lobby of the university, it was carried out with the contribution and support of Mr. Driss El Kori, president of the Association of Moroccan Photographers, who thanks to Ambassador Zakia El Midaoui and H. E. Mr. Plamen Tsolov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Kingdom of Morocco, has established close friendly relations with the members of the National Association of Photography Academy "Yanka Kyurkchieva" and has organized photo exhibitions for Morocco in Rabat and Sofia in 2023.

Finally, the guests also enjoyed the wonderful traditional Moroccan cuisine, as well as the famous Moroccan mint tea and sweets.

The photos are provided by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the Republic of Bulgaria. Above: H. E. Ms. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Republic of Bulgaria, and H. E. Mrs. Maria Gabriel, ex Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, with the girls and boys, presented the Moroccan kaftans and takshis at the event