French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu embarks on a landmark two-day visit to Rabat, marking his first official trip abroad since assuming office. The visit signals a strategic push to consolidate and expand the burgeoning partnership between France and Morocco.

Accompanied by a high-powered delegation including Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, Lecornu will engage in high-level discussions with Moroccan counterpart Aziz Akhannouch. This meeting represents the first such high-level government-to-government interaction since 2019, underscoring the renewed diplomatic momentum.

The strengthening of Franco-Moroccan relations follows President Emmanuel Macron’s landmark recognition in summer 2024 of Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory—a move that drew sharp criticism from Algiers. The French president’s subsequent three-day state visit to Rabat in October 2024, complete with lavish ceremonies and the signing of multiple bilateral agreements, effectively ended three years of strained relations that had been exacerbated by espionage allegations and visa restrictions.

“The relationship has never been better—now we must harvest the benefits,” noted Hasni Abidi, director of the Geneva-based Centre for Studies and Research on the Arab and Mediterranean World.

Morocco emerges as France’s Maghreb priority

Morocco has now ascended to become the cornerstone of French diplomacy in the Maghreb region. Paris appears to have abandoned its previous balancing act between Rabat and Algiers, with Macron no longer prioritizing equidistance between the two North African capitals.

“Macron has abandoned the traditional French approach of maintaining an artificial balance between Morocco and Algeria,” observed Hasni Abidi. “The relationship with Algeria remains fragile, but the focus is now squarely on Morocco.”

Lecornu’s visit begins with a military honors ceremony on Wednesday evening, followed by a joint wreath-laying at the Royal Mausoleum on Thursday morning. Bilateral talks will then proceed at Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where several cooperation agreements are expected to be signed across economic, security, migration, and defense sectors.

“With relations with Algeria at a low point, Macron—entering the final stretch of his presidency—doesn’t want to leave office with this Maghreb file unresolved,” explained historian Pierre Vermeren. “This explains the decisive turn toward Morocco, which can serve as a bridge to renewed engagement with sub-Saharan African nations.”

The two countries share strategic interests in combating the jihadist threat in the Sahel region.

Security and judicial cooperation take center stage

Security and judicial cooperation has already resumed between Rabat and Paris. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez is scheduled to meet with his Moroccan counterpart Abdelouafi Laftit to discuss several pressing issues, including the potential extradition of Franco-Moroccan national Ismael Benahmed. Benahmed, suspected of involvement in a 2019 Paris murder, was recently arrested in Morocco.

Morocco has welcomed France’s support for its autonomy plan regarding Western Sahara, which contributed to the adoption of a new 2025 UN resolution favorable to Rabat’s position. The disputed territory, a former Spanish colony considered by the UN as “non-self-governing,” has been a point of contention between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front for nearly half a century.

The visit is expected to yield new French investments in Morocco, a significant shift from the visa crisis of 2021-2022 when France halved visa issuance to Moroccan nationals. During that period, Morocco not only suspended the repatriation of irregular migrants but also pivoted toward other European partners for trade opportunities.

The potential highlight of the visit could be a state visit by King Mohammed VI to France, accompanied by the signing of a landmark treaty establishing an “exceptional” partnership between the two nations. The foreign ministers of both countries announced the principle of such a visit in late May, though no date has been specified. The last visit by a Moroccan monarch to France dates back to March 2000, when Mohammed VI undertook a three-day trip to strengthen bilateral cooperation.