French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has arrived in Rabat at the helm of a high-profile delegation of twelve ministers, marking the resumption of the 15th Franco-Moroccan High-Level Meeting (RHN). This landmark event is set to redefine the strategic partnership between France and Morocco.
The delegation includes key figures such as Laurent Nunez (Minister of the Interior), Catherine Vautrin (Minister of Armed Forces and Veterans), Roland Lescure (Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial Sovereignty, Energy and Digital Affairs), Annie Genevard (Minister of Agriculture), Jean-Noël Barrot (Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs), and Naïma Moutchou (Minister of Overseas Territories). Also part of the team are Catherine Pégard (Minister of Culture), Philippe Tabarot (Minister of Transport), Sabrina Roubache (Minister of Vocational Training), Anne Le Hénanff (Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs), Nicolas Forissier (Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness), and Éléonore Caroit (Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Abroad).
The visit also features Senator Christian Cambon, Chairman of the France-Morocco Friendship Group in the Senate, and Member of Parliament Karim Ben Cheikh, who are scheduled to meet with leaders of Morocco’s two parliamentary chambers.
Strengthening bilateral ties through structured dialogue
The 15th RHN, held at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signals the revival of this bilateral mechanism established in 1997. The last session took place in Paris in December 2019, following a hiatus prompted by global events.
This meeting follows the signing of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership in October 2024 between King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron. Its primary goals are to assess ongoing projects and set new priorities for bilateral cooperation.
Key areas of discussion include:
- Internal security and counterterrorism
- Irregular migration management
- Organized crime and drug trafficking
- Cultural exchanges and heritage preservation
- Agricultural development and food security
- Infrastructure modernization
- Water resource management
- Public administration reform
- Artificial intelligence and digital transformation
- Defense industry collaboration
- Preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup
Economic initiatives under way include the expansion of Safran Electronics & Defense’s industrial site and Alstom’s new production facility in Fès.
The agenda features bilateral talks between the two Prime Ministers, sector-specific ministerial meetings, a plenary session on shared priorities, and a closing synthesis presented by the Foreign Affairs ministers.
Concluding the event is the anticipated signing of around fifteen agreements spanning critical sectors such as decentralized cooperation, the Rabat Regional Express Rail (RER), water management, development of the Casablanca-Settat region, civil aviation, film industry collaboration, artist residency programs, and the integration of Arabic language and history-geography curricula into French schools.
This meeting also serves as a pivotal step toward drafting a future Franco-Moroccan bilateral treaty, designed to solidify long-term cooperation ahead of King Mohammed VI’s upcoming state visit to France.
