French Interior Minister Darmanin Arrives in Morocco for High-Level Security Talks

Gérald Darmanin will begin his two-day working visit with an initial contact with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelouafi Laftit, on Sunday evening. The next day, a meeting will be held at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior in Rabat, in the presence of the two officials and senior officials from the two ministries, reports Le360. Then, on Monday afternoon, the French minister will meet with the Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Taoufiq. The discussions between the two officials will focus on the training of imams. Morocco could be useful for the French Ministry of the Interior, which plans to create an imam status in France, the kingdom being equipped with the Mohammed VI Institute for the training of imams and mourchidate, an institution recognized worldwide for preaching a tolerant Islam. Finally, Darmanin will meet with French nationals living in Morocco on the same day.

This working visit is part of the strengthening of security cooperation between Rabat and Paris. Recently, France has requested Morocco’s expertise in security matters to successfully organize the Olympic Games which will take place from July 26 to August 11 in Paris. Moreover, an agreement was reached in Morocco during a meeting between Abdellatif Hammouchi, Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST), and his French counterpart, Frédéric Veaux, so that the two countries work closely together to ensure the security of this major sporting event. In addition to security cooperation for the success of the 2024 Olympic Games, security efforts between the two countries are focusing on the fight against drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and terrorism.