France’s new ambassador in Rabat champions the ‘Franco-Moroccan method’
After presenting his credentials to the King, Philippe Lalliot chose the Paris Peace Forum’s spring meeting at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (Um6p) in Rabat for his first public address as France’s ambassador to Morocco. Speaking before a diplomatic audience, he linked the defence of international law, water cooperation, and preparations for upcoming bilateral meetings around a programme worth nearly 350 million euros.
With global crises worsening and shocks affecting every nation, Philippe Lalliot insisted on the relevance of multilateral rules. “International law is not dead. Its founding principles are just. It must be defended on principle, because it is precisely the shield of those who have none,” he said, emphasising its role as a common good.
For the diplomat, international law remains “the condition for peace, stability and security for the greatest number.” He added, “We are here in the right place, at the right time and in good company to reflect on the ways and means by which we can together ensure that these great upheavals, these transitions, are met with concrete, realistic and adapted solutions,” advocating to “transform our hopes and ambitions into projects and actions.”
The ambassador stressed that thinking about major global imbalances and defining solutions to them lies “at the heart of the exceptional partnership that unites France and Morocco.” For Philippe Lalliot, this “Franco-Moroccan method” is meant to inspire others. “I am convinced that our two countries, through their shared history, but also through their common vision of these challenges and of the future, have the responsibility to set an example,” he stated, arguing that this responsibility consists of bringing together broadly, especially ahead of important bilateral or multilateral meetings.
He illustrated his point with the first project realised since taking office. “Two days ago, alongside the Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Water, and my German, Italian and European counterparts, we launched a vast programme of nearly 350 million euros aimed at supporting Morocco’s national water management strategy.” Strategic for Morocco’s water sovereignty, the project aims to improve knowledge of water resources, especially groundwater, coordinated management of climate-related water phenomena, particularly floods, and other initiatives such as wastewater reuse.
As debates conclude in Rabat on energy and food security — topics that will be at the core of the G7 in Évian from 15 to 17 June — France and Morocco are preparing a new cooperation framework whose implementation is imminent.
