French prime minister in Rabat to strengthen ties with Morocco

The French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu arrived in Rabat on Wednesday evening, marking a significant step in the deepening ties between France and Morocco. The visit, which follows a series of high-level exchanges, is seen as a precursor to an upcoming state visit by King Mohammed VI to Paris.

Lecornu was accompanied by a delegation of twelve ministers, including Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Laurent Nuñez, Minister of the Interior. The French delegation was welcomed at the airport just before 10 p.m. by Aziz Akhannouch and other key Moroccan officials.

The visit follows Lecornu’s recent trip to Doha, where he paid his respects to the late Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Aziz Akhannouch had also traveled to Doha to represent Morocco at the same event.

Diplomatic thaw and strategic partnerships

The strengthening of France-Morocco relations has been evident since Emmanuel Macron officially endorsed Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara in the summer of 2024, a move that strained ties with Algeria.

In October 2024, the French President was received in Rabat with great ceremony, ending three years of diplomatic tensions. The visit resulted in a series of agreements and the signing of an unprecedented “enhanced partnership.”

In a message to Macron on Bastille Day, King Mohammed VI praised the “strengthening of privileged relations” between the two nations, as reported by Morocco’s official news agency.

Upcoming royal visit and bilateral cooperation

The two governments are expected to lay the groundwork for a potential visit by King Mohammed VI to France, though no date has been confirmed.

The visit began on Thursday with a ceremonial visit to the royal mausoleum, followed by a bilateral meeting where each minister will engage with their Moroccan counterpart. The highlight of the visit is the signing of approximately fifteen agreements spanning economic, security, migration, and defense sectors, according to diplomatic sources.

Key areas of cooperation include:

• Civil aviation
• Development of a Regional Express Network (RER) in Rabat
• Water resource management partnerships
• Electrical interconnection projects between the two countries

In the defense sector, discussions are underway regarding potential arms cooperation. Culturally, a strategic partnership agreement is set to be signed between the Arab World Institute in Paris and Morocco’s Ministry of Culture.

Shift in France’s Maghreb strategy

Morocco has become a cornerstone of France’s diplomatic strategy in the Maghreb, with Paris no longer prioritizing balance in its relations with Algeria.

On regional security in the Sahel, France appears to be increasingly relying on Morocco as a key partner, particularly as Algeria remains reluctant to share intelligence despite the resumption of Franco-Algerian cooperation.