King Mohammed VI Hosts Lunch for French PM After High-Level Morocco-France Talks

Rabat – King Mohammed VI hosted a luncheon on Thursday in Rabat in honor of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and the delegation accompanying him during his official visit to Morocco.

Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch presided over the luncheon, which saw the attendance of several senior Moroccan and French officials.

Among the French participants were Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, and members of Lecornu’s delegation.

The Moroccan side included Speaker of the House of Representatives Rachid Talbi Alami, royal advisors Omar Azziman and Omar Kabbaj, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, and Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

Earlier in the day, Akhannouch and Lecornu co-chaired the 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting, held as part of the implementation of the enhanced exceptional partnership launched by King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The meeting brought together senior ministers from both countries to review progress made since Macron’s state visit to Morocco in October 2024 and discuss new areas of cooperation.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Lecornu described the gathering as a “turning point” in Morocco-France relations, saying both countries are working to take their partnership “to a new level.”

He said the meeting would help assess the implementation of decisions taken by the two heads of state while strengthening cooperation in areas such as security, counterterrorism, diplomacy, and responses to global challenges.

Lecornu also said both countries are working toward King Mohammed VI’s future state visit to France, which he said could result in historic decisions, including an “unprecedented friendship treaty” that would go beyond the enhanced exceptional partnership established during President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Morocco in 2024.

The meeting saw the signing of 14 cooperation agreements between the two countries spanning transport, water, education, culture, research, infrastructure, postal services, and defense. The deals include AFD financing for the Rabat Regional Express Rail project and water policy, partnerships in maritime education and scientific research, cultural and youth cooperation, as well as agreements to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation. 

During his remarks, the French prime minister added that France intends to remain a key partner for Morocco in its relationship with the European Union while expanding cooperation on shared priorities across Africa, including security, demographic challenges, and environmental issues.

Relations between Morocco and France have strengthened significantly since Macron’s 2024 visit, during which France endorsed Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only basis for resolving the Sahara dispute and affirmed that the territory’s present and future fall within Morocco’s sovereignty. Since then, the two countries have expanded cooperation across sectors including investment, infrastructure, transport, energy, security, and education under their renewed strategic partnership.