The day Lionel Jospin "sympathized" with King Hassan II

During this official visit, the Moroccan sovereign had decorated the political leader with the grand order of the Ouissam Alaouite. Admitting to being surprised by this high distinction, the deceased had then described a "privileged moment" spent in the company of the monarch.

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The bilateral discussions had taken place with "trust and sincerity". The two statesmen had extensively discussed the challenges of globalization, the situation in the Middle East, European construction, as well as migration flows between the two nations.

The king had confided in his difficulties in forging a new parliamentary majority after the legislative elections. Observing a "movement aimed at alternation", Lionel Jospin had spoken with Abderrahmane Youssoufi, a socialist leader ready to join the government after thirty-two years of opposition.

As reported at the time by Libération, the issue of human rights had not been raised. The delegations had prioritized economic cooperation, recording 433 million francs in financial protocols for dams, SMEs and the preparatory studies for the Casablanca metro.

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Finally, regarding the management of migration flows, the French leader had committed to "humanizing the issuance of visas". He had firmly denounced the "vexatious, even humiliating" behavior of the administration towards Moroccan applicants.