Morocco-France: A fresh start?

Relations between Morocco and France appear to be thawing. The visit to Morocco on Monday February 26, 2024 by the head of French diplomacy, Stéphane Séjourné, was aimed in particular at dispelling «misunderstandings». It has to be said that the historic ties between Rabat and Paris have been negatively impacted by a series of «problems».

Today, the aim of this renewed dialogue is to revitalize the bilateral partnership on a new basis. On his first visit to Rabat since taking office, Séjourné expressed Paris’s desire to offer Morocco a new partnership for the next 30 years. «There is an exceptional bond between the two countries, and President Emmanuel Macron wants this bond to remain unique and to deepen even further in the coming months». Nasser Bourita echoed Macron’s sentiments, reiterating the uniqueness of the ties between the two countries. He nevertheless pointed out that the new phase of the partnership between the two countries is part of a process of renewal and evolution, «in terms of content, approaches and players, to keep pace with developments on the international scene and with the changes that both countries are undergoing». In concrete terms, bilateral relations between Rabat and Paris should be based on «mutual respect and coordination», according to Bourita.

The two countries have so much to do together. This includes supporting Morocco in its development projects, but also anchoring this partnership in a win-win logic. The idea of developing «Made-with-Morocco «projects and products has been gaining ground for some time. But people will have to wait a little longer to find out more about the content of this new initiative. The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that discussions had focused on the scheduling of thematic ministerial visits in the coming weeks. A Morocco-France business forum is also planned for next April (see our February 26 issue). At the time of printing this issue of the newspaper, the extended working session attended by officials from both countries was still in progress.

After a face-to-face meeting between the two countries’ heads of diplomacy, a broader meeting was held in the early afternoon. The idea is to examine priority issues for both parties. For some weeks now, French officials have been stressing the importance of launching a new political agenda with Morocco.

M.A.M.