Rabat – France’s Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard commended ties between Morocco and France while stressing the importance of selecting Morocco as the first foreign guest of honor at the International Agricultural Show in Paris.
“Morocco is a great friend of France,” she said on Sunday, noting that Morocco’s selection shows a “true sign of friendship” between the two countries.
She also commented on the importance of agricultural exchanges with Morocco, including imports, exports, training, irrigation, and forest management.
The French government sees more opportunities ahead to strengthen trade cooperation and bilateral ties between the two countries.
In December 2023, the French government acknowledged the increased level of competition particularly from outside Europe including China and the US.
Despite the competition, France remains Morocco’s primary economic and financial partner, the government said.
In 2022, trade exchanges between Morocco and France have significantly increased to reach 24% in 2022 thanks to the growth of French grain exports.
This helped reduce the bilateral deficit between the two countries and regain the second spot among suppliers, ahead of China.
“As the main source of foreign currency for the Kingdom, France remains the largest foreign investor (30.8% of the total stock) and the leading country of origin for transfers from the Moroccan diaspora and tourism revenues,” the government website added.
France and Morocco now enjoy more strengthened ties between the two countries, especially after Paris’ newfound Sahara position.
In July 2024, France President Emmanuel Macron publicly announced support for Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
Ties have further strengthened following Macron’s historic visit to Rabat, where he met with King Mohammed VI.
During the meeting, the two leaders chaired the singing of dozens of agreements aimed at boosting bilateral ties between the two countries.
The agreements, worth €10 billion, cover different sectors, including culture, education, trade, and gaming.
On Saturday, Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch reiterated Morocco’s commitment to continue boosting ties with France during a meeting with his French counterpart Francois Bayrou.
During the meeting, Bayrou expressed his satisfaction with the quality of ties between the two countries, noting that the relations experienced an “exceptional leap” following Macron’s recent visit to Morocco.
“The human dimension of these relations is obviously the most important and is the guarantee that these fraternal relations will endure over time,” Bayrou said.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot made similar remarks, noting that strengthened ties between the two countries allow Rabat and Paris to “multiply the avenues of cooperation” covering different sectors, including agriculture.
