On the late afternoon of July 15th, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is set to embark on his first official foreign visit to Morocco since taking office. Accompanied by a delegation of approximately ten ministers, the Prime Minister will arrive in Rabat with the aim of deepening the bilateral relations between France and Morocco.
According to confirmations from both the office of the French Prime Minister (Matignon) and Moroccan government sources, Lecornu will be welcomed at the airport by his Moroccan counterpart, Aziz Akhannouch, alongside other government officials. The agenda for Wednesday evening includes a private meeting between the two leaders, while separate bilateral discussions among various ministries will also take place concurrently.
The French delegation features notable members including Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot and Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez. On the morning of July 16th, another bilateral meeting is scheduled between Lecornu and Akhannouch, which will be followed by a joint press conference.
Subsequently, both leaders will preside over a plenary session of the High Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Delegations from both nations will participate in this meeting. This will mark the first high-level gathering of its kind since the appointment of the new French ambassador to Morocco, Philippe Lalliot. The visit is expected to culminate in the signing of several agreements across various sectors. In addition, a wreath-laying ceremony at the mausoleum of Mohammed V and an official luncheon are scheduled before the delegation departs on Thursday afternoon.
This visit occurs against the backdrop of robust economic ties, with the bilateral trade volume reaching a record high of €14.8 billion in 2024. Morocco accounts for over 40 percent of French exports to Africa, particularly in the transport, electronics, chemicals, and cosmetics sectors. Simultaneously, French imports from Morocco witnessed a 4.4 percent increase in 2024. France stands as Morocco's primary economic and financial partner, while Morocco is France's largest customer and supplier on the African continent.
Diplomatically, relations have normalized following the recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara by French President Emmanuel Macron in the summer of 2024. Additionally, bilateral security cooperation has been fully resumed since then.
As reported by maghreb-post.de.
