New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) Palestine is at the "centre" of Morocco's foreign policy and "we don't speak much, but those who need to know, they know", the country's envoy to India, Mohamed Maliki, said on Thursday and underlined the sooner the Palestinian issue is solved, the better the world will be in future.
His remarks made during an interactive session held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) here late evening.
This comes in the backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"Palestine is at the centre of our foreign policy. We don't speak much, but those who need to know, they know. We have been very supportive always," Maliki said.
"We have never jeopardised it or bargained on it. It's as equal as the Sahara issue in Morocco," he added and described what is happening in Gaza amid the conflict as "shameful".
The envoy reiterated that the Arab world has shown solidarity to Palestine.
"Time is a healer for many things....The sooner we solve this problem, the better the world will be in future," he said.
During the interaction, the envoy also cited the old historic links between India and Morocco, and the potential for bilateral collaboration in multiple sectors.
Maliki referred to the journey to India of ancient travellers such as Ibn Battuta, the old Silk Route of trade and the link of the rulers of the erstwhile Kapurthala princely state to his country.
India and Morocco formally established bilateral ties in 1957, he said and recalled that the Moroccan king and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a meeting in 2015 on the margins of India-Africa Summit during which they had decided to elevate ties to strategic partnership.
In 2015, 13 Indian companies were present in Morocco and the number has grown to 46 in different spheres, from automotive to renewable energy, the envoy said.
"I believe that during these years, we have been able to build concrete and solid framework that allowed us to reach this level," he added.
Maliki also laid emphasis on people-to-people relations and how Indian cinema since 60s have been playing in theatres in his country, and many Moroccan citizens speak Hindi and know film songs without ever having touched the soil of India.
This is a "soft power of India in my country", he said.
The interaction was themed on 'Building Bridges and Connecting Continents'.
The Moroccan envoy said his country wants to "build bridges" with India through joint initiatives, through transfer of technology and investment.
"I should believe that when there is a strong will, there is always a way. And the will exists between our two nations to move forward," he added.
He was also asked a question on Morocco's stance on the Kashmir issue and its stand on India's Operation Sindoor conducted recently.
"We have condemned the terrorist attack," said the envoy, adding it is among the countries which are in the front when it comes to counter-terrorism.
"India and Pakistan decided to solve this problem bilaterally, we let them decide the issue bilaterally. Our red lines in foreign policy... not to mingle into other's internal relations. We respect... the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a nation," he said.
The envoy also said there is "large scope" for cooperation in the tourism sector and added that Morocco would like to see the Indian filmmakers come and shoot in his country.
The last FIFA World Cup has given "100 times publicity" to Morocco than an office of tourism could do, he said, referring to the semi-final match played by Morocco that also represented an Africa dream.