French President Emmanuel Macron will embark on a three-day state visit to Morocco, according to an announcement by the Moroccan royal palace on Monday. The visit is seen as a reflection of the “deep-rooted and strong partnership” between the two nations.
This visit follows France’s decision in July to support Morocco’s autonomy plan for the disputed Western Sahara, marking a shift in its previous stance. This move aligns France with the US, Israel, and a growing number of African nations with which Morocco seeks to enhance trade relations.
Macron called the autonomy plan the only viable solution to the long-standing territorial dispute between Morocco, which claims the Western Sahara, and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which advocates for the region’s independence.
France’s change of position has drawn criticism from Algeria, prompting Algiers to recall its ambassador from Paris.
Relations between France and Morocco had previously soured when France imposed visa restrictions on Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia in 2021, but these restrictions were later lifted.