Relations between France and Morocco have deteriorated in recent months, despite a visit by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to Rabat in December. Relations “were neither friendly nor good, neither between the two governments nor between the royal court and the Élysée Palace,” a Moroccan diplomat said recently in African youth. In 2023, two French delegations visited Morocco. The first came to Rabat in April led by Éric Ciotti, leader of the Les Républicains (LR) party, to hold talks with the royal authorities with a view to strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation, wrote Atascreen.

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A second delegation, made up of French lawmakers, has been in the Moroccan capital in recent days to reaffirm Paris’ commitment to restoring relations with the kingdom, which is also one of its main economic partners. In their meeting with Nizar Baraka, Secretary General of the Istiqlal Party and Minister of Public Works and Water, and Abdellatif Ouahbi, Secretary General of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) and Minister of Justice, the issue of visa restrictions was raised for Morocco.

“This friendly French-Moroccan visit will be an opportunity to reaffirm the deep relations and solid friendship between France and Morocco. Our government may face a small problem, but it is the cabinet’s responsibility to make every effort to solve it,” said Christian Cambon. , the head of the delegation and chairman of the French Senate Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Services Committee, told the press. Mohamed Zidouh, leader of the French-Moroccan friendship group, believes the visit of the French MP is “important to give a new impetus to bilateral relations and further strengthen trust”.

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According to Hicham Moataad, Morocco expert on international relations, visits and statements by French politicians are unlikely to defuse the situation. “Rabat needs more than symbolic speeches, protocols and official visits to resolve political disputes with a sovereign dimension,” he analyzed. In his opinion, France “still opposes Morocco’s requests to step out of the gray zone and take a clear position on certain important issues such as the Sahara”. “France has always supported Morocco at the United Nations and will be able to take the necessary decisions in the Sahara in time,” assured Christian Cambon.