France-Morocco friendship, strategic partnership hailed at meeting between President Macron and PM Akhannouch

The friendship and the depth of the strategic partnership between France and Morocco were hailed at a meeting held Thursday between President Emmanuel Macron and Head of the Government Aziz Akhannouch who represented King Mohammed VI at the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Provence landings in Saint-Raphaël.

“The President of the French Republic held talks on Thursday with Aziz Akhannouch, the Prime Minister of Morocco, on the sidelines of the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Provence landings,” The Élysée Palace said in a statement.

The Élysée pointed out that the President of the French Republic first expressed his gratitude to Aziz Akhannouch for attending the ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Provence landings and reaffirmed “the importance of France honoring the many Moroccan soldiers who fought alongside French forces and their allies in Provence, significantly contributing to the liberation of the country.”

“The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of Morocco praised the friendship and the depth of the strategic partnership between France and Morocco,” the statement said.

Aziz Akhannouch particularly welcomed “the decision made by France, following the letter from the President of the Republic to King Mohammed VI on the occasion of Throne Day, regarding the inclusion of the present and future of the Sahara within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.” In this context, President Macron reaffirmed “France’s commitment to advancing Moroccan-related issues.”

Emmanuel Macron and Aziz Akhannouch agreed to “work on an ambitious bilateral roadmap that will elevate the French-Moroccan relationship to a new level of ambition in the economic, agricultural, energy, as well as cultural and educational fields,” according to the Elysée, which noted that the two sides emphasized that “this new strategic partnership will focus on Moroccan youth and the youth of the African continent,” and that “French-Moroccan cooperation has been crucial in addressing major shared challenges, whether industrial, technological, or related to climate change.”