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Marrakech – General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and Commander of the Southern Zone, received the Commander of the Legion of Honor insignia during an official ceremony in Paris on Tuesday.
General Fabien Mandon, Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces, presented General Berrid with the prestigious French distinction on behalf of President Emmanuel Macron. The ceremony took place in the presence of high-ranking civil and military officials.
The decoration coincided with the 23rd meeting of the Morocco-France Joint Military Commission, held December 9-10 in Paris. General Berrid led a high-level Moroccan delegation to the commission meetings under royal instructions.
Heureux d’accueillir pour la seconde fois à Paris le général de corps d’armée Mohammed Berrid, inspecteur général des Forces armées royales du Maroc, à qui j’ai eu l’honneur de remettre l’insigne de commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur.
La coopération de nos armées 🇲🇦 et 🇫🇷 se… pic.twitter.com/ytf0n2Z9ST
— Chef d’état-major des armées (@CEMA_FR) December 9, 2025
“The cooperation of our armies develops in very numerous fields, including the training of our officers,” General Mandon stated during the ceremony. “This is the translation of a historic and rich partnership, which takes on an exceptional dimension thanks to mutual trust.”
The French military chief added that both forces “build together and in all environments a balanced, mutually beneficial relationship that contributes to strengthening our security.”
Two additional Moroccan military officials received honors during the ceremony. Medical General Mohamed Abbar, Inspector of Military Health Services of the FAR, and Air Force General Fouad Moumen, Chief of the 4th Bureau of the FAR General Staff, were decorated with the Medal of the National Order of Merit at the Officer grade.
The decorations recognize efforts deployed to develop bilateral military relations under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, according to a statement from the FAR General Staff.
This ceremony marked General Berrid’s second visit to Paris in recent months. He previously met with General Mandon on September 5, when he attended tributes to former French Army Chief General Thierry Burkhard.
During the recent commission meeting, both military leaders expressed satisfaction with the distinguished level of Rabat-Paris military cooperation and its positive results, particularly throughout 2025.
They agreed on expanding exchanges of experience and expertise to new sectors of common interest and established a military cooperation program for 2026.
The Morocco-France Joint Military Commission serves as a major strategic dialogue platform between the two armies.
It aims to develop mutually beneficial cooperation, coordinate strategic approaches to current security and technological challenges, and strengthen bilateral military cooperation across all fields, particularly training and joint exercises.
The Legion of Honor, created by Napoleon Bonaparte during his time as First Consul, remains France’s highest decoration for recognizing individuals, both civilian and military, who have rendered eminent services to the French nation.
These developments crystallize the renewed momentum in Morocco-France relations, capturing the strategic ambition articulated by King Mohammed VI and President Macron during the landmark October 2024 visit.
They build directly on Paris’s July 2024 recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara – a turning point that reoriented bilateral ties toward a deeper, long-term partnership anchored in trust, strategic convergence, and shared regional priorities.
Read also: Morocco and France Sign Joint Security Action Plan, Hammouchi Receives Legion of Honor
