France-Morocco relations: Sébastien Lecornu’s visit to Rabat aims to strengthen ties

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is embarking on a significant visit to Rabat, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. The primary objective is to solidify the burgeoning relationship between France and Morocco, with an eye on a potential state visit by King Mohammed VI to Paris.

Leading a delegation that includes Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, Prime Minister Lecornu will engage in a “high-level meeting” with his Moroccan counterpart, Aziz Akhannouch. This marks the first such governmental summit since 2019, underscoring renewed diplomatic efforts.

Franco-Moroccan relations have seen a marked improvement since French President Emmanuel Macron formally acknowledged Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory in the summer of 2024. This pivotal decision, however, drew strong disapproval from Algiers.

Following this recognition, President Macron was received with considerable pomp in Rabat during a three-day state visit in October of the same year. This visit effectively brought an end to three years of strained relations, which had been fueled by alleged espionage and a significant visa dispute. The trip concluded with the signing of numerous agreements.

Hasni Abidi, director of the Center for Studies and Research on the Arab and Mediterranean World (Cermam) in Geneva, observed that “relations are now excellent, and it is time to harvest the fruits of this renewed partnership.”

Moroccan diplomatic priority

Morocco has demonstrably ascended to become the top priority in French diplomacy within the Maghreb region. Paris is no longer striving to maintain a delicate balance with Algiers, whose relationship with France continues to be somewhat precarious.

“Emmanuel Macron no longer considers the need to calibrate his relationship between Morocco and Algeria,” whose ties with France remain fragile, Abidi underscored.

This visit represents Sébastien Lecornu’s inaugural international trip since assuming the role of Prime Minister in autumn 2025, a period that has otherwise been characterized by a notable discretion.

After receiving military honors on Wednesday evening, both Prime Ministers will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the royal mausoleum on Thursday morning, followed by bilateral discussions.

A subsequent meeting involving delegations from both nations is scheduled at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where several agreements are poised for signature. This segment of the visit aims to deepen cooperation across economic, security, migratory, and defense sectors.

Historian Pierre Vermeren analyzed the situation, stating that “Emmanuel Macron, nearing the end of his term, seeks to avoid a diplomatic failure in the Maghreb regarding Algeria and is resolutely turning towards Morocco.”

According to Vermeren, Rabat could potentially serve as an “intermediary” to assist Paris in “reconnecting” with various sub-Saharan African nations, as both partners share mutual interests in combating the jihadist threat across the Sahel.

Potential royal visit?

Cooperation in security, migration, and judicial matters has already been re-established with Rabat. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez is expected to hold discussions with his counterpart, Abdelouafi Laftit, specifically regarding the potential extradition to France of Franco-Moroccan Ismael Benahmed, who is suspected of a 2019 murder in Paris and was recently apprehended in Morocco.

Morocco, for its part, commends French support for its autonomy plan concerning Western Sahara. This backing played a role in the adoption of a new UN resolution in 2025, which was favorable to Morocco’s position.

Western Sahara, an former Spanish colony designated by the UN as a “non-self-governing territory,” has been a point of contention for nearly half a century between Morocco and the Sahrawi independence movement, the Polisario Front, which is supported by Algiers. This renewed Franco-Moroccan rapprochement is also anticipated to pave the way for new French investments.

During the peak of the visa crisis in 2021 and 2022, when Paris significantly reduced the number of visas issued to Moroccans, Rabat not only halted the repatriation of its undocumented citizens but also sought out other European commercial partners.

The culmination of this strengthened relationship could be a state visit by King Mohammed VI to France, potentially accompanied by the signing of a treaty that would enshrine an “exceptional” Franco-Moroccan partnership.

While the foreign ministers of both countries announced the principle of such a visit in late May, a specific date has yet to be disclosed. The last time a Moroccan sovereign visited France was in March 2000, when King Mohammed VI undertook a three-day trip, also with the aim of consolidating bilateral cooperation.