Morocco and France advanced their Enhanced Exceptional Partnership on Thursday in Rabat, as the 15th session of the Morocco-France High-Level Meeting (RHN) opened under the co-presidency of Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch and French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Fourteen agreements were signed spanning energy, infrastructure, finance, education, culture, postal services, civil aviation, defense and water management, as the two countries sought to deepen economic integration following renewed diplomatic relations.
The two countries also signed terms of reference establishing a bilateral defense industry committee and a technical arrangement on military archives.
Akhannouch described the meeting as the first governmental concretization of the new political framework established by King Mohammed VI and President Emmanuel Macron during the French President’s October 2024 state visit to Morocco, marking the transition into the operational implementation phase of that shared vision. He highlighted accelerated progress on structuring projects in industry, infrastructure, renewable energy, logistics, innovation and productive investment, framing energy transition, industrial decarbonization, next-generation infrastructure and rail and port connectivity as central pillars of bilateral cooperation.
Lecornu confirmed that both governments have received a clear mandate to ensure the commitments made during President Macron’s October 2024 state visit are honored, and to develop new projects ahead of an upcoming state visit to France by King Mohammed VI. He praised the excellent security cooperation between the two countries against terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking and irregular migration, citing unprecedented recent operational successes against organized crime achieved through joint police and judicial work, and announced that a comprehensive security agreement is being developed to elevate this cooperation further.
On the Sahara issue, the French Prime Minister reaffirmed France’s support for Morocco’s position on the Sahara, saying Paris’ stance was “unwavering” and would not change, as the two countries prepare a landmark bilateral treaty.
Lecornu said France understood the importance of the Sahara issue for Morocco and reiterated the position set out by President Emmanuel Macron in a letter to King Mohammed VI in July 2024.
“We know the crucial importance that the question of the Sahara holds for your country and you know the clarity of our position,” Lecornu said.
“I reaffirm here that this position is unwavering. It will not change and, as you know, we are acting accordingly,” he added.
On the economic front, Lecornu announced the launch of a call for expressions of interest on electrical interconnection between Europe and North Africa, describing it as part of ambitious energy connectivity projects between the two continents. He confirmed that both countries are working on a bilateral treaty — the first France will sign with a country outside the European Union — developed by a joint Moroccan-French council of wise persons tasked with organizing the countries’ shared future within a stable, ambitious framework suited to the challenges of coming decades.
A series of bilateral meetings were held on the sidelines of the High Level Meeting, including talks between Defense Administration Minister Abdellatif Loudiyi and French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin, and parliamentary cooperation discussions between Chamber of Counselors Vice-President Lahcen Haddad and a high-level French parliamentary delegation.