In response to a Hespress AR letter, Paris’ Élysée Palace stated that the agenda of the President of the French Republic has not yet been determined for the coming weeks, regarding President Emmanuel Macron’s anticipated visit to the Kingdom of Morocco.
This short response from the French presidency comes amidst growing speculation about “favorable conditions from Macron to visit Morocco,” particularly following the appointment of Ambassador Samira Sitail in Paris and the positive messages conveyed by the French Ambassador in Rabat, Christophe Lecourtier, through the Moroccan official media.
Macron’s visit to Morocco has been on hold since 2022 when the French President announced at that time, “he was nearing his visit to Rabat in October of the same year.” However, the ongoing visa issue in 2021 and the accompanying diplomatic chill prevented this from occurring.
The French-Moroccan relations are showing signs of a nearing end to the crisis. This includes the announcement of the French Ambassador of the official end to the visa crisis and the return of the Moroccan Ambassador to Paris.
However, the appointment of Stéphane Séjourné, who is known for his “hostile stance towards Morocco” in the European Parliament, as indicates in several reports, has sparked new concerns.
Two days ago, Macron visited India, where he was a guest of honor during their national celebration. During the visit, the two countries announced a renewed partnership and reinforced their commitment to defense cooperation.
France recently voted in favor of the latest resolution in the UN Security Council concerning the Moroccan Sahara, which extends the mandate of the MINURSO mission.
It also expressed support for the autonomy proposal in the southern regions, with its representative calling for its implementation.
Morocco’s Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch previously reiterated his call for France to “withdraw from the grey area” and “the role of the observer” in the Moroccan Sahara issue, in an interview with the French newspaper L’opinion a year ago.
French officials emphasized that “France has long supported Morocco in the Sahara issue and continues to maintain the same approach to this day.”
It is worth mentioning that a government source denied the accuracy of former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna’s statements about a scheduled visit by Macron to Morocco, affirming that ‘it is neither on the agenda nor scheduled.”
Colonna said that the visit by President Macron comes at the invitation of King Mohammed VI, but the official Moroccan government source expressed astonishment that France’s top diplomat had taken “this unilateral initiative and allowed herself to make an uncoordinated announcement concerning an important bilateral event.”
In an exclusive interview with Hespress, French Lieutenant General Bruno Clément-Bollée previously emphasized the importance of Paris recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara to restore traditional relations with Rabat.
The general felt that this decision would be in Paris’s interest, not only for historical reasons but also to strengthen Franco-Moroccan ties.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.