The French Prime Minister is set to embark on a significant two-day visit to Rabat, aimed at deepening the strategic partnership between France and Morocco. This marks a pivotal moment in bilateral relations, with discussions expected to pave the way for a potential state visit by King Mohammed VI to Paris.

Sébastien Lecornu will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Their counterparts in Morocco, including Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, will participate in what has been described as the first high-level bilateral meeting since 2019.

This visit comes at a time when relations between the two nations have reached an unprecedented level of cooperation. The thawing of tensions began in the summer of 2024, when France officially recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region—a move that drew sharp criticism from Algiers. The gesture was followed by a landmark state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Rabat in October 2024, which lasted three days and resulted in the signing of multiple economic agreements.

Key areas of focus

The discussions in Rabat will prioritize four major domains: economic collaboration, security cooperation, migration management, and defense partnerships. These talks aim to build on the positive momentum established during Macron’s visit, which ended years of diplomatic strain characterized by espionage allegations and visa restrictions.

Hasni Abidi, director of the Geneva-based Centre for Studies and Research on the Arab and Mediterranean World, notes, “Relations have never been better. Now, the focus is on harvesting the fruits of this renewed partnership.”

Morocco has emerged as France’s primary diplomatic priority in the Maghreb region. This shift reflects Paris’s decision to move beyond its previous balancing act between Rabat and Algiers, a strategy that had long defined its regional approach.

Security and migration: Urgent priorities

Laurent Nuñez is expected to engage in critical discussions with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelouafi Laftit, particularly regarding the potential extradition of Franco-Moroccan national Ismael Benahmed. Benahmed, who is currently detained in Morocco, is accused of committing a murder in Paris in 2019. This case underscores the renewed cooperation in judicial matters between the two countries.

France’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara has also played a crucial role in securing a favorable UN resolution in 2025. The ongoing conflict in Western Sahara, which has pitted Morocco against the independence-seeking Polisario Front (backed by Algeria) for nearly five decades, remains a contentious issue.

During the height of the visa crisis in 2021 and 2022, when France drastically reduced visa issuance to Moroccan citizens, Rabat retaliated by suspending the repatriation of irregular migrants and pivoting toward other European partners for trade. The current visit seeks to address these lingering issues and prevent further disruptions.

A potential royal visit to Paris

The highlight of the visit could be a state visit by King Mohammed VI to France, accompanied by the signing of a landmark treaty formalizing an “exceptional” partnership between the two nations. While the foreign ministers of both countries announced the principle of this visit in late May, the exact date remains undisclosed.

The last visit by a Moroccan monarch to France dates back to March 2000, when Mohammed VI traveled to Paris for a three-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation. This upcoming visit, if realized, would mark another significant milestone in the evolving relationship between the two countries.