French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has made Morocco his first international destination since taking office, underscoring the growing strategic importance of Rabat in Paris’s North African diplomacy. During his two-day visit on 15 and 16 July, Lecornu led a high-powered delegation, including Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, for talks with Morocco’s Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.
The agenda included bilateral meetings at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a wreath-laying ceremony at the Mohammed V Mausoleum, and an official lunch to conclude the visit. Addressing the Senate ahead of his departure, Lecornu praised the strong cooperation between France and Morocco in policing and judicial matters, calling the relationship powerful and mutually beneficial.
Parliamentary diplomacy strengthens bilateral ties
A delegation of Moroccan lawmakers, led by Mohamed Zidouh, President of the Morocco-France Friendship Group in the Chamber of Counsellors, engaged with French and European parliamentarians in Paris. The meetings brought together figures such as François-Xavier Bellamy, Vice-President of the European People’s Party Group, Pierre Jouvet, Vice-President of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats Group, and Fabienne Keller, Questeur of the European Parliament.
During the discussions, François-Xavier Bellamy highlighted the depth of friendship and cooperation between the two nations, describing Morocco as a model of openness, dynamism, and progress. He emphasised the comprehensive development process underway in the Kingdom and called on the European Union to recognise Morocco’s credibility and commitment to its international obligations.
Bellamy also reaffirmed France’s position on Morocco’s territorial integrity, noting its recognition of the Moroccan identity of the Sahara while stressing adherence to international law.
Pierre Jouvet went further, describing Morocco as an essential geopolitical partner for both France and Europe. He stressed the need to deepen bilateral relations and safeguard the progress achieved in their partnership.
