The French Minister of Foreign Affairs is visiting the Moroccan capital, Rabat. Arriving Sunday evening, Stéphane Séjourné will be received in the morning by his counterpart Nasser Bourita. On the exchange agenda, bilateral relations are currently thawing after 18 very tense months.
Published on: 02/26/2024 – 03:59
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With our correspondent in Rabat, Victor Mauriat
More than a year has passed between the last visit of a French Minister of Foreign Affairs and that of Stéphane Séjourné. In December 2022, Catherine Colonna, her predecessor, came to Rabat to announce the end of visa restrictions to France, a crisis which had left a lasting impression on Moroccan minds. As proof, no significant improvement was observed between the two countries in the following weeks.
Tension even came to a head when the European Parliament voted for a motion asking Morocco to better respect human rights. For Rabat, there is no doubt, the mission is remotely guided by Paris and even by a certain Stéphane Séjourné, at the time head of the Renew movement in Strasbourg. So in response, Morocco had put end to the mission of its ambassador in Paris and discussions were limited to the strict minimum.
Since then, water has flowed under the bridges, Morocco has appointed an ambassador to Paris last October and France announced its intention to open a new chapter with the kingdom, even guaranteeing a personal investment from its new head of diplomacy.
In recent weeks, several statements, notably from the French ambassador to Morocco, have mentioned the need “ to move forward » on the question of Western Sahara. Words that caught the attention of the kingdom, as the cause is central to Rabat.
Read alsoThawing of relations between France and Morocco in small steps
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