By laying the foundations of a new partnership, Morocco and France confirm in 2024 the resilience of their relations, displaying a common desire to enter them into a new era with a clear and ambitious roadmap commensurate with the new challenges that arise in a rapidly changing international context.
The ambition of this renewed partnership, of equals, taking into account the interests of both countries, took on greater vigor with the state visit carried out at the end of last October to Morocco, at the invitation of King Mohammed VI, by French President Emmanuel Macron, during which the two Heads of State decided to“write a new chapter in the long history” between the two countries, by raising the bilateral relationship to the level of a “Exceptional partnership strengthened”.
The related declaration was signed by the King and the French President who have the high ambition that this partnership can enable the two countries to better respond to all the challenges they face, by mobilizing the key sectors of bilateral cooperation , regional and international.
Macron’s visit was crowned by the signing of 22 bilateral agreements, under the presidency of the two Heads of State, to which are added around twenty others sealed within the framework of the Morocco-France entrepreneurial meeting.
These agreements cover areas as varied as the integration of value chains and industrial ecosystems, green energy, infrastructure, youth, innovation, migration management and Africa for which Morocco positions itself as the natural gateway to France and Europe.
One of the highlights of this visit was the French president’s historic speech before the Moroccan parliament, in which he reaffirmed his country’s support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty over its Sahara, reiterating that “for France, the present and future of this territory are part of the framework of Moroccan sovereignty”.
“Autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework within which this issue must be resolved. And the 2007 autonomy plan constitutes the only basis for achieving a just, lasting and negotiated political solution in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. he insisted, ensuring that this position, “anchored in history, respectful of realities and promising for the future”is the one that France will implement to support Morocco in international bodies.
In the opinion of many observers, the evolution of France’s position on the national question, which is part of the spirit of the international dynamic of support for the Moroccan character of the Sahara, is seen as a harbinger of an even more promising future for Franco-Moroccan cooperation in its various aspects: economic, cultural, security, social, environmental, etc. This is evidenced by the multitude of agreements signed during the French president’s state visit to Morocco, including those concluded with the French Development Agency (AFD) group which immediately announced its intention to invest in the Moroccan Sahara.
For the French expert on international issues, Guillaume Chaban Delmas, this visit completed “an important year for Morocco which is asserting itself a little more every day as a leading regional and global power.”
“The Kingdom positions itself as a lasting strategic partner who speaks as an equal,” notes the expert, saying he is convinced that the future of the Mediterranean arc, of Europe and Africa and perhaps even of the Middle East, “ will play out, in part, in this Franco-Moroccan understanding which aims to be further strengthened in order to offer the world a voice of dialogue and peace.”
And to conclude that“at a time when many are building walls, our two countries can position themselves, together, as a duo capable of creating bridges.”
