France FM in Rabat Ahead of Macron’s Visit to Morocco

French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, who arrived Thursday in Rabat for a two-day visit to the North African Kingdom, was received Friday by her Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita.
According to press reports, the goal of the visit is to reset relations with Morocco and prepare for the upcoming visit of President Emmanuel Macron to the Kingdom as relations between the two countries have been strained over issues related to migration, the French visas restrictions and the Sahara.
A statement released by the Quai d’Orsay ahead of Colonna’s trip said her talks with Bourita will cover “all aspects of the exceptional bilateral partnership between Morocco and France, which is characterized, above all, by very close, rich human ties spanning the Mediterranean”.
The two ministers will also discuss two countries’ economic ties, as well as regional and global issues of common interest, in particular the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and its impacts on food insecurity, which is affecting Africa, added the statement.
Rabat wants Paris to come out of its comfort zone and recognize clearly the Moroccanness of the Sahara as did Washington and join Madrid, Berlin, Amsterdam and other European partners in backing Morocco’s autonomy plan under its sovereignty for a lasting resolution of the Sahara issue.
King Mohammed VI and the French president have exchanged lately congratulation messages after Morocco made it to the world cup semi-finals in Qatar and France advanced to the final of World Cup 2022.
France is Morocco’s major economic partner and foreign investor, accounting for 35 pc of the overall foreign direct investment injected in the country.
In terms of trade, France is Morocco’s second largest trade supplier and second largest customer.