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Rabat – French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Thursday that Morocco and France are entering a new phase in their relationship, with both countries seeking to “change scale” in their bilateral cooperation following the renewed momentum launched in 2024.
Speaking at the opening of the 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting in Rabat, Lecornu thanked King Mohammed VI, Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, and the Moroccan government for their welcome and described the gathering as a “turning point” in relations between the two countries.
Lecornu is leading a high-level ministerial delegation during an official visit to Morocco, where he is co-chairing the meeting with Akhannouch. Senior ministers from both governments attended the talks, including Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.
The French premier said the high-level meetings, first established more than three decades ago during the reign of the late King Hassan II, were designed to create lasting political, economic, diplomatic, cultural, and agricultural cooperation between the two countries through a unique intergovernmental framework.
He noted that the last high-level meeting between the two countries took place in 2017, while the most recent was in 2019, making the resumption of the mechanism particularly significant.
According to Lecornu, today’s meeting is intended to review the implementation of decisions taken by King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron following Macron’s state visit to Morocco in October 2024.
That visit marked a major turning point in bilateral relations, culminating in the signing of a declaration establishing an “enhanced exceptional partnership.” Since then, both governments have significantly increased official exchanges, with around 20 visits by Moroccan ministers to France and 16 visits by French ministers to Morocco.
The renewed partnership has also been reinforced by France’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only basis for resolving the Western Sahara dispute. During his visit to Morocco in 2024, Macron affirmed that the present and future of the territory fall within Morocco’s sovereignty.
Lecornu said Thursday’s discussions would focus on evaluating progress made since the 2024 agreements while strengthening cooperation in key areas, including security, counterterrorism, diplomacy, and responses to global crises.
Lecornu said the meeting would help pave the way for a future state visit by King Mohammed VI to France, which he said could result in an “unprecedented friendship treaty” going beyond the enhanced partnership established in 2024.
Beyond bilateral ties, Lecornu stressed that France sees Morocco as a key partner in strengthening relations with the European Union and addressing shared priorities across Africa, including security, demographic challenges, and environmental issues.
He concluded by expressing confidence that the current momentum would allow the two heads of state to take what he described as “historic decisions” in the coming weeks and months.
“Ultimately, this working meeting is also intended to enable our two heads of state to take what I believe will be historic decisions in the coming weeks and months. From the bottom of my heart, and not only in a protocol or diplomatic sense, but also on a personal level, we are truly delighted to be with you this morning.”
