Overview
- A two-day ministerial mission led by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on July 15–16 brought about a dozen French ministers to Rabat and produced a series of cooperation agreements described by the French embassy as a "reinforced exceptional partnership."
- Officials focused talks on defence, intelligence sharing, counterterrorism and migration management as part of an effort to institutionalise the 2024 political shift on Western Sahara into practical security ties.
- The visit emphasised trade and investment links, noting that France was Morocco's main economic partner and that bilateral trade hit a record €14.8 billion in 2024, with plans to deepen port, logistics, renewables and industry cooperation.
- Coverage diverged over a new controversy after a media consortium reported Moroccan use of Pegasus spyware that may have reached French phones, a development that risked overshadowing the visit even as Morocco denies the allegations.
- Analysts say the reset strengthens Paris's foothold in North Africa as relations with Algeria remain fragile and France seeks reliable regional partners, a shift that could reroute European investment into Morocco and change security cooperation in the Sahel.