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Join on Telegram Rabat – King Mohammed VI received French President Emmanuel Macron at the Royal Palace in Rabat this evening for a state visit.
Macron is accompanied by his wife Brigitte and a high-level delegation, including ministers from different departments.
Upon his arrival at the palace, a parade of ministers from all departments lined up to warmly receive Macron during the official reception. Macron and his delegation touched down this afternoon at the Rabat-Sale Airport.
The visit formalizes a new chapter in the bilateral relationship between the two countries, which have shared a long and complex history.
In a statement, Morocco’s Royal Cabinet said that the talks between the leaders focused on ushering in a new era of strong ties between the two countries.
This comes in line with a renewed exceptional partnership and a strategic roadmap for the coming years.
Through the renewed partnership, the King and Macron intend to “give a decisive impetus to the multidimensional and excellent relations between Morocco and France, meeting the ambitions of both countries and jointly addressing international developments and challenges,” the statement said.
Another central topic mentioned during the two leaders’ discussions was the importance of renewing the partnership between the two sides of the Mediterranean, to build a more stable, sustainable, and prosperous future for the entire region, while addressing the socio-economic and environmental challenges.
Macron and Morocco also discussed the situation in both Lebanon and Gaza, reiterating their call for an immediate cessation of attacks.
They also stressed the priority of protecting civilian populations and the importance of ensuring and facilitating the delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid while putting an end to regional escalation.
The King and monarch also renewed the urgency of reactivating the peace process within the framework of a two-state solution, with an independent Palestinian state along the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Macron in turn extended an official invitation to King Mohammed VI for a State visit to France, with the monarch accepting the request.
The date will be agreed upon through diplomatic channels, the statement noted.
The French President also commended Morocco’s strategic initiatives, including efforts to promote cooperation among different sectors.
Macron’s visit comes after a few years of a diplomatic crisis between the two countries, including visa restrictions and France’s former, hostile stance on the Sahara dispute.
In September 2021, France announced its decision to cut by 50% the number of visas issued to Moroccans, arguing that the move was due to Morocco’s “unwillingness” to cooperate in the extradition of irregular Moroccan migrants in France.
Morocco rejected the French government’s claims, stressing that it had always dealt with “the issue of migration and the movement of individuals with great responsibility and balance.”
The crisis was also due to France’s previous ambiguous position on the
But in recent months, both countries have offered signs of their determination to overcome this diplomatic crisis, with French ministers frequently stressing Paris’s newfound embrace of the Moroccan position on the Sahara.
In July this year, Macron announced the country’s historic recognition of Morocco’s full sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
The decision was met by celebrations, including from the royal palace.
“France’s position is part of the positive momentum that characterizes the question of the Moroccan Sahara,” the King said earlier this month, recalling the unwavering support from other allies like the US.
The Moroccan monarch also highlighted the diplomatic momentum gained by Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the sole basis for reaching a final solution to the Sahara.
