Morocco and France have pledged to deepen their strategic partnership, reaffirming their commitment to an “enhanced exceptional partnership” amid growing diplomatic tensions between France and Algeria.
During a meeting in Paris on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita agreed to strengthen, safeguard, and promote bilateral cooperation, according to a statement from the French Foreign Ministry.
The talks followed up on a declaration signed by French President Emmanuel Macron and King Mohammed VI during Macron’s visit to Morocco last October, which aimed to elevate the already close ties between the two countries.
Barrot and Bourita also praised what they described as the “unprecedented momentum” in Franco-Moroccan relations and expressed support for convening a high-level bilateral meeting later this year.
The ministers discussed a range of regional and international issues, with particular attention to Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and the evolving situations in the Middle East and Africa.
The meeting took place against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Algeria and France. Just a day earlier, Algeria expelled 12 French diplomats following the arrest of an Algerian consular official by French authorities in Paris. The move has added strain to an already fraught relationship.
One of the underlying issues fueling the diplomatic rift is France’s support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara — a position that Algeria strongly opposes.
The decades-long Western Sahara conflict, which began after Spain’s withdrawal from the territory in 1975, remains unresolved. Morocco controls much of the region and proposes a broad autonomy plan under its sovereignty. In contrast, the Algeria-backed Polisario Front continues to demand a UN-supervised referendum on self-determination.
Despite a ceasefire agreement signed in 1991, tensions persist. The United Nations has yet to recognize sovereignty claims by either Morocco or the Polisario Front, and the conflict continues to strain Morocco-Algeria relations.
France’s open backing of Morocco’s autonomy initiative has further complicated its ties with Algiers, even as it strengthens its alliance with Rabat.