Morocco is preparing to host the 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting on July 15-16 in Rabat, in what is expected to be a key milestone in the renewed strategic partnership between the two countries ahead of King Mohammed VI's anticipated visit to Paris this autumn. According to French media reports, the royal visit is expected to provide the framework for the formal endorsement of the agreements and projects to be negotiated during the Rabat meeting.
French daily Le Figaro reported that French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will travel to Morocco on what will be his first official visit abroad since taking office, where he will co-chair the high-level meeting alongside Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch.
According to the French press, the meeting carries particular significance as it will be the first edition since 2019, after the bilateral mechanism was suspended for several years due to the diplomatic crisis that strained relations between Rabat and Paris, largely over France's previous position on the Sahara issue.
The same reports noted that relations entered a new phase after French President Emmanuel Macron announced, on July 30, 2024, France's support for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, a move that paved the way for rebuilding trust and restoring bilateral cooperation at the highest political level.
French media added that the July 15-16 meeting is expected to cover a broad range of economic and strategic issues, with particular emphasis on expanding French investment in Morocco, especially in major infrastructure and transport projects linked to preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
In this context, French reports indicated that the discussions could include plans to develop Morocco's nuclear energy sector through the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). Rabat views the technology as a means of diversifying its energy mix and reducing dependence on fossil fuels while capitalizing on its significant uranium reserves contained in phosphate deposits.
The two sides are also expected to discuss the planned undersea electricity interconnection linking the Moroccan city of Nador with the French port of Marseille, a project designed to transport green electricity generated in Morocco to France. The initiative is being developed by British company Xlinks through its French subsidiary.
Defense cooperation is also expected to feature prominently on the agenda, with France seeking to convince Morocco to acquire Scorpène-class submarines as part of the Royal Armed Forces' ongoing naval modernization program.
France, however, faces stiff competition from Spain and South Korea, both of which are also seeking to secure the Moroccan submarine contract, as Rabat continues to strengthen its naval capabilities in light of the strategic importance of the western Mediterranean and the Strait of Gibraltar.
French media consider the Rabat meeting to be more than a revival of the bilateral intergovernmental consultation mechanism. It is also viewed as a preparatory stage for launching a new strategic partnership between Morocco and France, which President Emmanuel Macron described during his address to the Moroccan Parliament in October 2024 as the first strategic partnership of its kind that France would conclude with a country outside the European Union.
The outcome of the Morocco-France High-Level Meeting is expected to pave the way for King Mohammed VI's official visit to Paris later this autumn, where the two countries are expected to formally sign and endorse the major agreements and strategic projects negotiated during the Rabat talks.
