French PM’s Rabat visit to strengthen Morocco ties amid regional shifts

The French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu arrived in Rabat late Wednesday, greeted at the airport by Morocco’s Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and a high-ranking delegation. The visit, marked by military honors, signals a deepening partnership between France and Morocco, with potential implications for regional diplomacy.

Diplomatic rebalancing in North Africa

Accompanied by twelve ministers—including Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez—Lecornu’s arrival follows a recent visit to Doha, where he conveyed France’s condolences after the passing of Qatar’s former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. Morocco’s Prime Minister also attended the Qatari state funeral.

The visit underscores the growing importance of Morocco in France’s Maghreb strategy. Since 2024, when President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, relations have flourished despite tensions with Algeria. The French President’s subsequent state visit to Rabat in October 2024 marked a turning point, resulting in a strengthened partnership and multiple bilateral agreements.

In a message to Macron on Bastille Day, King Mohammed VI highlighted the “consolidation” of the two nations’ “privileged relations,” according to Morocco’s official news agency.

Key agreements on the horizon

On Thursday, the two governments will hold a high-level meeting, the first since 2019, to finalize around fifteen cooperation deals spanning economics, security, migration, and defense. Among the anticipated agreements are:

• A civil aviation partnership
• The launch of a regional express rail (RER) line in Rabat
• Water resource collaboration
• An electricity interconnection project
• Defense cooperation, including arms procurement discussions
• A strategic cultural partnership between the Arab World Institute in Paris and Morocco’s Ministry of Culture

These developments come as France increasingly relies on Morocco for Sahel security initiatives, a shift from its previous balancing act with Algeria, which has been less forthcoming with intelligence-sharing.

While a return visit by King Mohammed VI to France has been agreed upon in principle, no date has been set.