This initiative signals a profound desire from both nations to meticulously craft a foundational document built on enduring strategic interests. It reflects a shared aspiration to establish, with necessary adaptations, a bilateral framework akin to the historic Franco-German Élysée Treaty, famously signed in 1963 by General de Gaulle and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.
A dedicated commission has been tasked not with negotiating the treaty itself—a responsibility reserved for the two governments—but with formulating comprehensive proposals. These include the guiding principles of the partnership, strategic priorities extending to 2035-2040, mechanisms for political dialogue, and key areas for economic, security, military, academic, and cultural cooperation.
A fundamental question arises: why a friendship treaty now? This new accord is poised to supersede the La Celle-Saint-Cloud agreement, signed in France on November 6, 1955. That original agreement laid the groundwork for Morocco’s return to independence and the official end of the protectorate, which was formally recognized on March 2, 1956. It was under this very agreement that Paris authorized the return of Mohammed V to the Throne, following his deportation on August 20, 1953.
Today, the objective is undoubtedly to cement the achievements of an already exceptional and privileged cooperation, while simultaneously establishing the strategic foundations for a relationship of equals, looking ahead to the coming decades.
This ambitious framework rests upon four pivotal pillars. The first centers on economic collaboration: Paris commits to significant investments in vital Moroccan industrial sectors such as automotive, rail, defense, and maritime transport. Furthermore, France pledges support for their modernization through the deployment of cutting-edge technologies.
Rabat, in turn, commits along several critical lines: granting preferential access to French enterprises within major infrastructure projects, coupled with attractive fiscal incentives.
«This friendship treaty would bind France to a non-European Union state, whereas Algeria has never managed to finalize a similar agreement for over two decades, despite several attempts initiated under the presidencies of Jacques Chirac and Abdelaziz Bouteflika, then Emmanuel Macron and Abdelmadjid Tebboune.»
— Mustapha Sehimi
The second pillar addresses security and defense industry cooperation: this involves transfers of military technology, ultimately aiming to position Morocco as a regional production hub for both light and heavy equipment (including aviation, ammunition, military vehicles, and armored systems). It also encompasses an expansion of joint training and exercise programs, alongside reinforced coordination in security and intelligence to tackle regional security challenges, particularly in the Sahel.
Cultural exchange forms a crucial third pillar: maintaining the privileged standing of the French language within the educational system, promoting Francophonie without impeding the Kingdom’s embrace of international business languages like English, and facilitating access for Moroccan students to French universities—a number that currently exceeds 42,000. This pillar also includes expanding the existing network of twelve French cultural institutes and establishing new educational facilities, notably in the Southern Provinces.
The final pillar delves into geopolitics and strategy. What does this entail? It signifies Paris’s unwavering support for Morocco’s paramount interests: endorsement of the autonomy plan for the Sahara, a solution validated by the Security Council within the framework of the negotiated settlement process (Resolution 2797 of October 31, 2025). It also includes support within European Union institutions, defending Moroccan interests in sectors such as agriculture and fishing, and across various bilateral and multilateral cooperation platforms.
Moreover, France anticipates Morocco’s collaboration in fostering new strategic alliances across West Africa, a region where French influence has gradually diminished over the past decade. The overarching goal is to leverage the Kingdom’s established position as a regional hub.
Ultimately, this treaty carries immense symbolic and diplomatic weight. It would formally link France with a state outside the European Union, a distinct achievement given Algeria’s repeated failures to finalize a similar accord over more than two decades, despite numerous attempts under Presidents Jacques Chirac and Abdelaziz Bouteflika, and subsequently Emmanuel Macron and Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Morocco is increasingly asserting itself as a regional power, an economic hub, and a leading actor in energy, logistics, and security matters. Consequently, this treaty could serve as a demonstrative and exemplary model: a blueprint for rearticulating innovative forms of cooperation between Europe and Africa.
