Press release – Minister’s meeting with Nasser Bourita (15 April 2025)
M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, had a meeting yesterday with Mr Nasser Bourita, his Moroccan counterpart.
The two ministers welcomed the unprecedented dynamism of the bilateral relationship between France and Morocco, which has opened a “new book”, to borrow the words used during the meeting between President Macron and His Majesty King Mohammed VI in October 2024. In this respect, the two ministers reaffirmed the determination of the two countries to strengthen, protect and defend the “enhanced exceptional partnership” launched during President Macron’s state visit to Morocco, at the invitation of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. They took stock of the partnership’s implementation in every area and agreed to continue deepening it, as has been done in particular through many reciprocal visits and the implementation of very many agreements signed on the occasion. They welcomed the prospect of a high-level meeting on Morocco being held in the autumn.
The Minister recalled the inviolable position expressed by President Macron: for France, the present and future of Western Sahara fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty. Autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework in which this issue must be resolved. France’s support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007, which has met with an increasingly broad international consensus, is clear and steadfast. This is the only basis for reaching a fair, lasting, negotiated political solution in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions. In this context, the Minister recalled France’s support for the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, and encouraged all the parties to meet with a view to a political settlement, which is within reach. The Minister also reiterated France’s commitment to supporting Morocco’s significant efforts to promote those regions’ economic and social development, to the benefit of the local population. He stated the various measures adopted by France to this end and signalled his desire for this momentum to continue.
The two ministers talked about regional and international issues, particularly Euro-Mediterranean relations, and the situation in the Middle East and on the African continent. They reaffirmed their desire to use Franco-Moroccan cooperation to resolve regional crises and uphold the international legal order. In particular, they voiced their wish to work jointly in Africa, through a common road map.
The Minister welcomed Morocco’s engagement in the multilateral fora on the issues of peace, stability and development, and reaffirmed his desire to continue our close consultation in this field and promote joint initiatives related to it. In this regard, he said that the third United Nations Ocean Conference, to be held in Nice in June, will provide an opportunity to demonstrate the important contribution that the Franco-Moroccan partnership can make to defending global public goods. The Minister also welcomed Morocco’s ratification of the United Nations’ High Seas Treaty.