Morocco, France Enter New Phase of Strategic Partnership, Says French Prime Minister
Rabat, The Gulf Observer: French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Thursday said Morocco and France are entering a new phase in their bilateral relations, with both countries committed to significantly expanding cooperation following the renewed momentum launched in 2024.
Speaking at the opening of the 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting in Rabat, Lecornu described the gathering as a “turning point” in relations between the two nations and expressed gratitude to King Mohammed VI, Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, and the Moroccan government for their warm welcome.
Lecornu, who is leading a high-level ministerial delegation on an official visit to Morocco, co-chaired the meeting with Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch. The talks were attended by senior officials from both governments, including Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.
The French premier noted that the high-level meetings, established more than three decades ago during the reign of the late King Hassan II, were designed to strengthen political, economic, diplomatic, cultural, and agricultural cooperation through a unique intergovernmental framework. He highlighted the significance of reviving the mechanism after several years, noting that the last meeting was held in 2019.
Lecornu said the discussions focused on reviewing progress in implementing the decisions taken by King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron following Macron’s state visit to Morocco in October 2024, which marked a major milestone in bilateral ties.
That visit resulted in the signing of a declaration establishing an “enhanced exceptional partnership,” leading to an unprecedented increase in official exchanges between the two countries. Since then, around 20 visits by Moroccan ministers to France and 16 visits by French ministers to Morocco have further strengthened bilateral cooperation.
He also highlighted France’s support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative as the basis for resolving the Western Sahara issue, recalling President Macron’s statement during his 2024 visit affirming that the present and future of the territory fall within Morocco’s sovereignty.
The French prime minister said Thursday’s talks also focused on expanding cooperation in strategic areas, including security, counterterrorism, diplomacy, and responses to global challenges.
Lecornu expressed confidence that the renewed momentum would pave the way for a future state visit by King Mohammed VI to France, which could culminate in the signing of an unprecedented friendship treaty that would further deepen the enhanced partnership established in 2024.
He also described Morocco as a key partner for France in strengthening relations with the European Union and addressing common priorities across Africa, particularly in the fields of security, demographic challenges, and environmental sustainability.
Concluding his remarks, Lecornu voiced optimism that the growing partnership would enable the two countries’ leaders to take what he described as “historic decisions” in the coming months, further elevating the longstanding friendship and strategic cooperation between Morocco and France.
