France and Morocco strengthen ties during Lecornu’s Rabat visit

Warming relations – France’s Prime Minister hints at a potential partnership that could lead to a Moroccan monarch’s visit to France and the signing of a ‘groundbreaking friendship treaty’

Franco-Moroccan diplomatic ties have markedly improved in recent years, as evidenced by French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s official visit to Rabat. A state visit by King Mohammed VI to Paris, along with the signing of an ‘unprecedented friendship treaty,’ are also under consideration, though no timeline has been set.

Franco-Moroccan relations have been steadily warming since the French head of state acknowledged Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory in the summer of 2024, a move that drew sharp criticism from Algiers.

Partnership deepens despite Pegasus controversy

French President Emmanuel Macron received a lavish welcome in Rabat in October of that year, marking the end of three years of strained relations fueled partly by espionage allegations and visa restrictions. The visit culminated in numerous contracts and the signing of an ‘exceptional strengthened partnership.’

On Thursday, an international media consortium revealed further details about the alleged scale of Morocco’s espionage activities using the Pegasus spyware, including France’s investigation into its potential acquisition.

In 2021, Morocco faced allegations of using the Israeli-made spyware to infiltrate the phones of several national and foreign figures, including the French president and then-minister Sébastien Lecornu, according to the same consortium. Rabat has consistently denied these accusations…