French President attends celebration of Morocco as Paris agricultural fair guest of honor

French President Emmanuel Macron and head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch opened on Saturday the Paris International Agricultural Fair which laid out the red carpet for Morocco as its first guest of honor.

“We are very happy and proud to host Morocco as a guest of honor at the SIA, where it is represented through a magnificent stand”, Macron said in a statement to the press, before proceeding to the inauguration of the Show.

For the first time since its creation, the Paris SIA is featuring a foreign country, Morocco.

Underlining that this decision follows his recent state visit to the Kingdom, paid at the invitation of  King Mohammed VI, President Macron said “It is a great source of pride for our Agriculture Show and our farmers to have this very strong partnership.”

The distinction takes place amid a steady improvement in French-Moroccan ties, following Paris’ full support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara.

It also highlights the potential for agricultural cooperation between the two nations whose products are complementary with Morocco importing soft wheat and exporting fresh produce.

The Fair organizers have also highlighted shared challenges linked to climate change and notably drought response.

On the sidelines of his attendance at the event, Akhannouch held talks with his peer François Bayrou.

Bayrou highlighted the momentum in bilateral ties following Macron’s visit to Rabat in October.

Akhannouch also met Jean-Noël Barrot, French foreign minister, who underscored the importance of Macron’s visit as “opening a new book in relations between Morocco and France.”