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Rabat — Morocco and France reaffirmed their commitment to expanding agricultural cooperation on Thursday, with both countries placing greater emphasis on research, innovation, training, and sustainable resource management as key pillars of their strategic partnership.
The discussions took place in Rabat between Morocco’s Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Ahmed El Bouari, and France’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry, Annie Genevard, on the sidelines of the 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting.
The two ministers reviewed progress made under the bilateral agricultural and forestry roadmap, highlighting advances achieved since the launch of renewed cooperation and expressing their shared determination to broaden collaboration across the sector.
Genevard welcomed the momentum generated by the Morocco-France cross-year initiative dedicated to agriculture and the first meeting of the joint agricultural committee. She said exchanges between universities, research institutions, and agricultural professionals from both countries demonstrate the strength of the bilateral partnership.
The French minister also highlighted the outcomes of the committee’s follow-up meeting held on June 26, noting that Morocco and France are exploring new opportunities for cooperation in agricultural education through the introduction of an agricultural bachelor’s program designed to encourage greater academic and professional exchanges.
Water management also featured prominently in the discussions. Genevard praised the organization of a joint webinar on water governance, saying it created promising links between Moroccan and French experts working on watershed management and laid the foundation for continued technical cooperation in the field.
She further welcomed the signing of a new 2026-2031 framework agreement between the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and Morocco’s Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute (IAV Hassan II), describing it as another milestone in scientific cooperation between the two countries.
For his part, El Bouari stressed that continued investment in research, innovation, and the exchange of expertise will be essential to addressing the growing challenges facing agriculture, particularly in the context of climate change and sustainable development.
He reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to strengthening technical cooperation with France through joint projects and knowledge-sharing initiatives aimed at building a more resilient agricultural sector.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both ministers agreed to continue implementing the bilateral agricultural and forestry roadmap while expanding joint initiatives in research, innovation, training, and the sustainable management of natural resources under the Morocco-France strategic partnership.
The meeting was held during French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s official visit to Morocco, where he co-chaired the 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting with Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch. During the session, the two countries signed 14 cooperation agreements covering a wide range of strategic sectors.
