The Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, received his Moroccan counterpart yesterday, Mr. Nasser Bourita.
The two ministers welcomed the unprecedented dynamism of the Franco-Moroccan bilateral relationship, for which a “new book” opened, according to the expression used on the occasion of the interview between the President of the Republic and His Majesty King Mohammed VI in October 2024. In this regard, the two ministers reaffirmed the determination of the two countries to strengthen, preserve and defend the ” State visit to the President of the Republic in Morocco, at the invitation of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. They took stock of the implementation of this partnership in all areas and have agreed to continue its deepening, maintained in particular by numerous cross visits and the implementation of the very numerous agreements signed on this occasion. They were delighted with the prospect of holding a high -level meeting in Morocco next fall.
The Minister recalled the intangible position expressed by the President of the Republic: for France, the present and the future of Western Sahara are part of Moroccan sovereignty. Autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework in which this question must be resolved. France’s support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007, which arouses an increasingly wide international consensus, is clear and constant. This constitutes the only basis to lead to a fair, sustainable and negotiated political solution in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. In this context, the Minister recalled France’s support to the efforts of the United Nations Secretary General and his personal envoy and encouraged all parties to meet for a political settlement, which is at hand. The Minister also reiterated France’s commitment to supporting the important efforts of Morocco in favor of the economic and social development of these regions, for the benefit of local populations. He reported on the various measures taken by France in this sense and marked his will that this dynamic continues.
The two ministers discussed regional and international issues, in particular Euro-Mediterranean relations, the situation in the Middle East and on the African continent. They reaffirmed their desire to put Franco-Moroccan cooperation at the service of regional and defense of the international legal order. They expressed, in particular, their desire to work jointly in Africa, through a common roadmap.
The Minister praised Morocco’s commitment in multilateral enclosures on the challenges of peace, stability and development, and reaffirmed his desire to continue our close concertation in this area as well as to carry joint initiatives. In this regard, he indicated that the third United Nations Conference on the Ocean, which will be held in Nice in June, would be an opportunity to illustrate the important contribution that can be made by the Franco-Moroccan partnership in the defense of world public goods. The Minister also welcomed the ratification by the Kingdom of Morocco of the United Nations Treaty on the high seas.
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