French prime minister’s diplomatic mission to Morocco

The French Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, arrived in Morocco today at the helm of a high-level delegation comprising twelve ministers, including Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. The purpose? A landmark intergovernmental meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Aziz Akhannouch—the first of its kind since 2019.

This visit follows an earlier diplomatic engagement in Qatar and marks Lecornu’s inaugural overseas mission since assuming office at Matignon. The agenda includes multiple rounds of discussions and working sessions aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and fostering deeper collaboration between the two nations.

A key focus of the meetings will be security cooperation, with Laurent Nuñez scheduled to hold talks with Morocco’s Interior Minister, Abdelouafi Laftit. Among the critical items on the table are judicial collaboration and the potential extradition of Ismaël Benahmed, a Franco-Moroccan national sought in connection with a 2019 homicide investigation in Paris.

The timing of this visit is significant, as it coincides with a notable thaw in France–Morocco relations following a pivotal decision by President Emmanuel Macron in the summer of 2024. The move, which acknowledged Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, has since eased previously strained diplomatic ties, particularly with Algeria.