warming relations – The French Prime Minister indicates a potential partnership could lead to a royal visit to France and the signing of an unprecedented ‘treaty of friendship’

Diplomatic ties between France and Morocco have significantly warmed in recent years, as evidenced by French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s official visit to Rabat. Plans for a state visit by King Mohammed VI to Paris and the signing of an ‘exceptional friendship treaty’ are under discussion, though no timeline has been set.

Franco-Moroccan relations have improved markedly since the French head of state acknowledged Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory in the summer of 2024, a move that drew sharp criticism from Algiers.

Stronger partnership despite Pegasus controversy

Emmanuel Macron was subsequently welcomed in Rabat with full honors in October of that year, ending three years of strained relations fueled partly by espionage allegations and visa restrictions. The visit culminated in multiple agreements and the signing of an ‘exceptional strengthened partnership.’

On Thursday, an international media consortium published fresh investigations into the alleged scale of Morocco’s espionage activities using the Pegasus spyware, as well as reports that France was exploring its acquisition.

In 2021, Morocco faced accusations of deploying the Israeli-developed spyware to infiltrate the phones of numerous national and foreign figures, including a French president and then-minister Sébastien Lecornu, according to the same consortium. Rabat has consistently denied all allegations…