In an interview with MAP’s news channel (M24), Takashi Shinozuka said that "at the start of the pandemic, experts feared a catastrophe in the African continent, however the virus has been contained, particularly in Morocco, thanks to the efforts made by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, a great Sovereign who Himself took the initiative and showed the way".

The Sovereign's attention was also focused on Africa through the humanitarian aid provided by Morocco to some twenty "African brotherly countries", he noted, deeming the initiative as a "wonderful gesture of solidarity".

Regarding the vaccination campaign in Morocco, the Japanese diplomat praised the personal commitment of His Majesty the King, who "showed the example by receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and gave his instructions to provide the vaccine for free ", noting that "things are going very well thanks to remarkable logistics and management".

These are "optimistic" indicators which suggest that "Morocco is in a position to achieve collective immunity in the near future," the diplomat added.

This is a deadline that Shinozuka awaits to finally "increase the pace of our cooperation, especially since two important conventions were signed in January 2020 between Japan and Morocco, namely the Agreement on the Protection and Promotion of Investments and the Double Taxation Agreement.