Macron Plans Morocco Visit to Mend Franco-Moroccan Relations

After several postponements due to deep-seated political differences between Rabat and Paris, Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Morocco will soon be effective. "A visit by President Emmanuel Macron to Morocco is indeed recorded," a French diplomatic source told Atlasinfo, adding that the visit of the Moroccan Foreign Minister to Paris, Nasser Bourita "was to work on the roadmap." No date has yet been set for this state visit by the French president. "But for specific reasons that have been discussed between the Moroccan and French parties, the date of a visit by the president has not yet been definitively set for the moment," the same source added. Meanwhile, the two countries have scheduled several Moroccan and French ministerial visits. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin is thus expected in Morocco from April 21. "I will be in Rabat for three days to exchange with my various Moroccan interlocutors," he confirmed to the same media.

Diplomatic relations between Paris and Rabat have warmed up in recent weeks, after a difficult period. Morocco and France are displaying their willingness to go far. After the visit of the French Foreign Minister to Morocco, Stéphane Séjourné, his department authorized last week French development financial institutions such as "Proparco", a subsidiary of the French Development Agency, or the public investment bank "Bpifrance" to finance projects in the Moroccan Sahara. Financing synonymous with a step by France towards the recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara. For years, Rabat has been expecting Paris to recognize its sovereignty over the Sahara. "I said it while I was there (in Morocco, editor’s note). We have recognized the fact that Morocco is economically developing this area (Sahara). We have even gone a little further since we are even going to bring in public operators to develop it with them. [...] As for the diplomatic question, it is between the two heads of state that it will be managed and settled," the French Foreign Minister said in a special program on France 24 and RFI. This issue will certainly be on the agenda of the possible meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Mohammed VI.