France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Noël Barrot met his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping in the Francophone Environment, 10 years after the first one held in Paris. 

The purpose behind the meeting was to strengthen cooperation between the two states. This rapprochement is symbolized by the announcement of a new strategic treaty, reaffirming Morocco’s position as one of France’s first economic partners in the region. This dynamic has already begun with the French recognition of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara in 2024. This changing power balance in North Africa has obviously impacted the relations between Paris and Algiers. 

A visit that follows a deeper diplomatic shift

Before arriving at this cooperative atmosphere, France-Morocco relations went through tense periods. In September 2021, France decided to reduce visa allocations for Moroccans by half. This decision was perceived in Morocco as humiliating, unfair, and aggressive. The crisis affected students, the middle classe, francophone elites, and business communities, effectively downgrading bilateral ties between both countries. Allegations in 2021 that Morocco had used Pegasus spyware, which Morocco denied, also strained the dialogue. 

Starting in 2024, a letter from French President Emmanuel Macron to King Mohammed VI in July 2024, followed by a state visit in October 2024, significantly shifted relations, moving from crisis to progressive reconciliation. This position was further anchored by UN Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted in October 2025, which recognized Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the only realistic basis for a lasting political solution.  

This decision was warmly welcomed by the Moroccan government and fueled a renewed ambition for cooperation. On the other hand, France saw this new dynamic as an attempt to get back its historical influence in North Africa and the Sahel regions. Barrot’s visit last week in Rabat was part of a broader continuation of this diplomatic reset.

What does the new treaty change 

The treaty announced by both Barrot and Bourita would become one of the most structured frameworks France has established with a non-European partner. Concretely, the treaty aims to impact many fields, such as investments and exchanges: the target is to increase French industrial and financial investments in Morocco, developing companies’ cooperation, such as Renault or Airbus, but also industrial zones, offshoring and outsourcing. The goal is to make Morocco not just a market, but a regional platform for French companies. 

Additionally, this renewed cooperation aims to be involved in the security field, such as the fight against terrorism, transnational criminal networks, and the exchange of information and police cooperation. Morocco is seen as a stable and reliable security partner. 

The treaty also concerns defense, including the organization of joint military exercises, armaments cooperation, officer training, and regular strategic dialogue. Beyond the treaty itself, France has already taken concrete steps in Morocco’s southern provinces. Barrot announced the opening of a visa application center and the creation of an Alliance Française branch in Laayoune, signaling that Paris is not waiting for a final settlement to deepen its presence in the region. 

France and Morocco are engaging not only bilaterally but continentally too, with coordination in West Africa and the Sahel, common development projects, shared diplomatic influence, and regional crisis management. 

But the main point resides in infrastructure construction, energy development, and migration flows management, shaping the concrete heart of the daily ties between the two countries.

Overall, this treaty is very important for institutionalizing the rapprochement, making it structured, official, and more sustainable than a purely political cycle of engagement.  The announcement also sends a geopolitical message to Algeria, the EU, and African partners, signaling the development of a long-term and strategic framework set to unfold over the coming decades.  The cooperation is about to turn from a “classic” level, by official visits, joint declarations, and general political discussions, to a more structured phase, defined by a  formal treaty, specific sectors, and planned discussions.

Algeria’s case

The long-term France-Morocco strategic framework could further complicate Paris-Algiers relations. For more than a century, ties between France and Algeria have remained cyclical, marked by political and historical tensions, despite occasional periods of closeness. However, current dynamics suggest a largely frozen relationship, characterized by multiple political disagreements and deep mistrust. 

The Algerian government maintains its position in support of the Polisario Front, while Morocco promotes an Autonomy Plan backed by several countries around the world. Algeria’s President, Abdelmajid Tebboune, continues to oppose this plan, even after France’s clear stance in favor of Morocco’s territorial integrity, despite Paris not formally breaking ties with Algiers. 

While Morocco is deepening its cooperation with a major partner such as France, Algeria continues to pursue a more cautious and differentiated diplomatic posture. 

In the Sahel, the decline of France’s military presence has created space that Morocco has actively sought to fill, while Algeria promoted an alternative regional vision. Rabat’s growing diplomatic engagement in the Sahel is also facilitating closer coordination with France.

Morocco’s growing regional role

Morocco continues to assert itself as a stable diplomatic actor in North Africa, with a growing role as a regional African leader beyond its partnership with  France. This development fits directly into the country’s strategy to enhance its soft power and international image, particularly towards Europe and the African continent, with major milestones such as the 2030 FIFA World Cup reinforcing this global projection.

Morocco and France have long maintained a dense, multi-sector partnership spanning political coordination, economic interdependence, security cooperation, cultural exchange, and migration ties. This longstanding framework has made the bilateral relationship one of the most structured and continuous in France’s engagement with the region.

Against this backdrop, the Barrot-Bourita meeting does not represent only a sudden geopolitical change, but rather confirms a deeper dynamic: while France is redefining its position in North Africa, Morocco is becoming an increasingly central partner in that strategy.