By Enyichukwu Enemanna
France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has embarked on a trip to Morocco where he expressed his country’s willingness to enter a new phase in diplomatic relations with Rabat.
He said both nations were seeking to scale up their bilateral ties, which came after the 2024 renewed momentum, following years of tensions.
The two countries reset their diplomatic relations two years ago, when France recognised Morocco’s claim over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
With its influence in North Africa and the Sahel under pressure, Paris hopes to cement the rapprochement during Lecornu’s 2-day visit to Rabat.
Speaking at the opening of the 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting in Rabat, Lecornu described the gathering as a “turning point” in relations between the two countries.
Amidst the visit however, a consortium of international media published new allegations on the extent to which Morocco used Israeli spyware to spy on several French ministers.
The investigation alleges that Rabat used software, including Pegasus, to track journalists, human rights activists, as well as politicians from France and Spain.
Morocco has long denied using the spyware to target critics at home or abroad.
Following publication of the latest allegations on Thursday, a press briefing between the two heads of government was scaled back to simple statements, without the possibility of questions.
“Our aim is to strengthen the framework of cooperation and trust with the Moroccans,” the French President’s office said.
Lecornu said the high-level meeting – a dialogue forum that had not convened since 2019 highlighted the two country’s converging interests, notably on issues of security and the fight against terrorism.
He added that his visit will help pave the way for a future state visit by King Mohammed VI to France.
A diplomatic source said around 15 agreements were due to be signed at the end of the meetings, covering the fields of the economy, security, migration, and defence.
