French-Morocco ties: Lecornu’s visit to Rabat strengthens strategic alliance
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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu touched down in Rabat Wednesday evening for a two-day official visit aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation between France and Morocco. A series of agreements across economic, security, energy, and cultural sectors are set to be finalized during this high-level meeting.
Bilateral talks to revive high-level dialogue
Warmly received by his Moroccan counterpart Aziz Akhannouch, Sébastien Lecornu arrived in Rabat accompanied by twelve ministers. This visit follows a thaw in Franco-Moroccan relations since France recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara in 2024. The two heads of government will hold bilateral discussions before co-chairing the 15th Franco-Moroccan High-Level Meeting—a dialogue framework that has not convened since 2019.
Over a dozen agreements on the agenda
Among the anticipated outcomes are the signing of more than a dozen accords covering civil aviation, infrastructure, water management, electricity interconnection, defense, and cultural exchanges. A landmark partnership between the Arab World Institute in Paris and Morocco’s Ministry of Culture is also expected to be formalized. The visit may also lay the groundwork for an upcoming state visit by King Mohammed VI to France, a commitment already confirmed.
Morocco emerges as France’s key Maghreb partner
The strengthening of Franco-Moroccan ties underscores Paris’s strategic choice to prioritize Rabat as its main partner in the Maghreb region. On security matters, particularly in the Sahel, France intends to increasingly rely on Morocco, even as relations with Algeria remain cautiously cooperative.
