Morocco and France are expected to finalize a new friendship treaty in 2026, several months later than initially planned, as both countries move to overhaul their bilateral relationship, according to reporting by Africa Intelligence.
The agreement, first announced by French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Rabat in October 2024, is intended to serve as a long-term framework for cooperation and marks a renewed strategic alignment after years of diplomatic tension.
As part of the initiative, Rabat and Paris have established a joint committee of about a dozen members tasked with outlining proposals for the future of the partnership.
Referred to as the “Comité des Sages,” the group is mandated to define strategic cooperation priorities for the next 30 years. Its design is inspired by landmark bilateral arrangements such as the Élysée Treaty between France and Germany and the Quirinal Treaty linking France and Italy.
Committee members are reported to include OCP Group CEO Mostafa Terrab, High Commissioner for Planning and former ambassador to Paris Chakib Benmoussa, and diplomat Mounia Boucetta, current secretary-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On the French side, figures expected to join the committee include economist Jean-Louis Guigou, former justice minister and ex-foreign affairs committee chair Élisabeth Guigou, and former foreign minister Hubert Védrine.
When unveiling the initiative in Rabat in 2024, Macron proposed creating a new bilateral strategic framework to be signed 70 years after the 1955 Celle-Saint-Cloud agreements, noting that Morocco would be the first non-EU country with which France engages at such depth. He also announced the establishment of a joint follow-up committee tasked with delivering concrete proposals by early 2025.
The planned 2026 signing would formalize a reset in Franco‑Moroccan relations after a period of friction and is expected to anchor cooperation across political, economic and cultural fields on a long‑term basis.
