French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is leading an unprecedented high-level delegation of twelve ministers to Rabat today for the 15th Franco-Moroccan High-Level Meeting (RHN). This gathering aims to revitalize the strategic partnership between France and Morocco following the 2024 partnership agreement signed by King Mohammed VI and President Emmanuel Macron.
The delegation includes key figures such as Laurent Nunez (Interior), Catherine Vautrin (Armed Forces and Veterans), Roland Lescure (Economy, Finance and Industrial Sovereignty), and Jean-Noël Barrot (Europe and Foreign Affairs). Other notable members are Annie Genevard (Agriculture), Naïma Moutchou (Overseas Territories), and Sabrina Roubache (Vocational Training). The delegation also features ministers dedicated to artificial intelligence, digital innovation, foreign trade, and Francophonie, reflecting the breadth of cooperation topics.
Senator Christian Cambon, chair of the France-Morocco friendship group in the Senate, and MP Karim Ben Cheikh will join the delegation for meetings with Moroccan parliamentary leaders.
boosting bilateral ties through strategic dialogue
The RHN, held at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marks the resumption of a bi-annual dialogue mechanism established in 1997. The last session took place in Paris in December 2019, making this a significant return to in-person high-level exchanges.
The meeting will assess progress on ongoing projects while setting new priorities across multiple sectors. Key areas of focus include internal security, countering irregular migration, organized crime, drug trafficking, agriculture, infrastructure, water management, and public administration modernization. Digital transformation, defense industries, and preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup will also be on the agenda.
Economic cooperation remains a cornerstone, with notable initiatives such as the expansion of Safran Electronics & Defense‘s industrial site and Alstom‘s new production facility in Fès already underway.
toward a new franco-moroccan framework agreement
The two-day event will feature bilateral discussions between the prime ministers, sector-specific ministerial meetings, and a plenary session to outline shared priorities. A synthesis of outcomes will be presented by the foreign affairs ministers of both countries.
One of the highlights will be the signing of approximately fifteen agreements spanning decentralized cooperation, Rabat’s Regional Express Rail (RER), water resource management, Casablanca-Settat regional development, civil aviation, film industry collaboration, artist residency programs, and Arabic language education within the French school network.
This meeting also serves as a critical step toward finalizing a new Franco-Moroccan bilateral treaty, designed to provide long-term structure to the partnership. The discussions come ahead of King Mohammed VI’s upcoming state visit to France.