“Franco-Moroccan relations have always been of strategic importance” | EUROtoday

Lhe French rallying to the Moroccan place on the Sahara situation, on July 30, through the celebration of the 25^e anniversary of the accession of King Mohammed VI to the throne, a date with sturdy symbolic content material for Morocco and Moroccans, was seen as a turning level by many observers, each diplomatically and economically. This French choice, strongly applauded by Rabat, reshuffles the geopolitical playing cards within the south of the Mediterranean.

Beyond this historic announcement, the 2 heads of state met within the Shereef kingdom from October 28 to 30. While preparations are progressing at a sustained tempo on each side, with distinctive mobilization of diplomatic, logistical and protocol groups, this unprecedented occasion guarantees to vary the steadiness of energy on the continent.

To higher perceive the financial problems with this go to, economist Alexandre Kateb, president of The Multipolarity Report and founding father of Multipolarity AI, analyzes Franco-Moroccan relations in gentle of the 25^e anniversary of the reign of Mohammed VI, the strategic challenges that President Macron may handle throughout his go to.

Africa Point: The twenty fifth^e anniversary of the reign of Mohammed VI, celebrated on July 30, affords the chance to take inventory. How do you assess the evolution of Franco-Moroccan relations over this era?

Alexandre Kateb: I feel that Franco-Moroccan relations have all the time been of strategic significance for each nations, due to their frequent historical past, their financial exchanges and their geostrategic place. Since the accession to the throne of King Mohammed VI, the 2000s have been marked by a major rapprochement, coinciding with a interval of profound financial and institutional transformations for Morocco.

This rapprochement was strengthened with the institutional reforms carried out from 2011 with the revision of the Constitution. However, between 2019 and 2023, some cooling has been noticed in these relationships. But right now, there’s a clear want to maneuver past this era. This want to relaunch ties has been expressed by each King Mohammed VI and President Macron, by a number of latest initiatives, together with the go to of necessary French delegations to Morocco and vice versa.

The go to of the French president thus seals this warming of relations, with the ambition of recreating an distinctive partnership, as within the period of President Jacques Chirac. The goal is to reestablish this strategic partnership which has all the time persevered within the background, regardless of the crises. This restoration is mirrored in concrete actions on the political, diplomatic and financial ranges.

What are the principle financial and strategic problems with Macron’s go to to Rabat?

This go to marks a brand new impetus within the partnership between Morocco and France, highlighting the need to strengthen financial and strategic ties between the 2 nations. French corporations, significantly thinking about growing their actions in Morocco, significantly within the sectors of port and street infrastructure, environmental administration, renewable energies and digital transition, have already got a key position. This position may increase within the years to come back.

At the identical time, alternatives are rising in different sectors, equivalent to agriculture, significantly in response to the disaster in Ukraine. Morocco, a serious wheat importer, has just lately intensified its purchases of French and European wheat. This opens the best way to a strategic partnership able to selling and strengthening the totally different agricultural sectors, with growth potential, significantly in cereal manufacturing, with a view to help Moroccan agriculture in the direction of higher productiveness in a context of local weather change. .

On the digital stage, the mixing of Moroccan start-ups into the French and European technological ecosystem, already initiated by varied packages, could possibly be amplified and simplified. An extra effort could possibly be made to beat bureaucratic obstacles, making these packages extra accessible to younger Moroccan entrepreneurs, significantly within the digital economic system and artistic and cultural industries sectors. French experience, in excellent concord with Moroccan heritage and creativity, opens up promising prospects for strengthening this cooperation.

Which areas of cooperation must be strengthened below this new roadmap?

The dimensions which can be being strengthened right now correspond to the sturdy axes of this relationship, with a quickly increasing financial and monetary partnership, and an more and more marked navy rapprochement. The latter is mirrored particularly by arms orders that Morocco plans to position with France, a central topic of this go to.

An more and more marked navy rapprochement

Faced with the choice of European justice to cancel the fishing and agricultural agreements, do you assume that this Franco-Moroccan rapprochement could make it doable to reopen dialogue on this situation?

Certainly. All initiatives geared toward taking part in a mediation position on these points are important, even when this file is principally managed at European stage. That stated, Member States can actively contribute to the seek for options and the evolution of current partnerships. Everything will rely upon the evolution of the geopolitical context. The resumption of negotiations is the one resolution to defuse tensions, construct on strong foundations and reply to the criticism and opposition that usually come up. This file is an ideal instance.

Pan-African integration is without doubt one of the pillars of the dominion’s financial technique. What roles may France and the European Union play to help this ambition?

France and the EU have a key position to play in supporting and strengthening this dynamic, by investing in Morocco and fascinating in cross-investments with Moroccan corporations in varied African nations, in partnership with French and European traders . It is now a matter of capitalizing on this current dynamic and supporting it with concrete initiatives.

A flagship instance is Casablanca Finance City, an actual hub for funding and administration of monetary flows, with an ecosystem oriented in the direction of Africa. This platform can function a gateway, throughout the framework of relations with France and the EU, to different African markets.

Other initiatives may additionally emerge. For a while now, I’ve proposed tasks round blockchain and digital applied sciences to construct data highways within the monetary sector between African nations. This kind of mission would strengthen the transcontinental dimension of the partnership that Morocco seeks to develop.

Can Morocco, pillar of the administration of migratory flows within the Mediterranean, proceed to imagine this position within the face of rising tensions within the Sahel?

Morocco has already executed rather a lot on this situation by assuming a big a part of the monetary and human burden, whereas bearing in mind the humanitarian facet. It is important to do not forget that sub-Saharan migrants can’t be decreased to easy statistics. On the Moroccan aspect, appreciable efforts have been made to combine those that want to keep, by providing them dignified dwelling situations, in addition to to facilitate the departure of those that aspire to different horizons.

On the opposite hand, European coverage remains to be being structured. It is now essential to construct a framework of transregional cooperation between Europe, the nations of the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts in addition to the nations of the Sahel with a view to reply to this problem in a extra coordinated and humane method. At the identical time, Morocco should efficiently navigate the tense geopolitical context, significantly vis-à-vis its Algerian neighbor. Much of the way forward for the area, stretching from North Africa to West Africa, together with the Sahel, will rely upon options to ease these tensions and foster actual regional integration, notably between Morocco and Algeria, with a view to get out of this dangerous confrontation.

Is this not exactly the target of the Atlantic initiative just lately launched by King Mohammed VI?

Yes, the Atlantic initiative is totally in keeping with this want to beat sub-regional tensions and promote continental integration. It affords the nations of the Sahel the chance to entry this Atlantic opening that Morocco possesses.

Faced with challenges such because the partitioning of those nations and the shortage of entry to the ocean, this initiative may act as a strong lever of financial progress for the nations which can profit from it by attracting international traders. The latter won’t essentially be thinking about a selected nation however they are going to adhere to this regional dynamic to profit from the economies of scale and the mass impact generated by this cooperation.

Moroccan diplomacy tends to align itself with the positions of the “Global South”.

As a part of this initiative, is it not time to maneuver up a gear and speed up the event of its maritime business?

Absolutely. I’m satisfied that Morocco will more and more flip in the direction of its maritime vocation, with the ambition of turning into a maritime energy in its personal proper. It is an goal completely in keeping with its strategic geographical place and its diplomatic position, rigorously developed over the past 25 years.

In your evaluation for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, you spotlight Morocco’s technique of not aligning with a single geopolitical bloc. Does this place affect Morocco’s relations with its European companions?

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Answer

This place displays Morocco’s historic DNA since its independence, rooted within the legacy of the Non-Aligned Movement. This alternative has by no means prevented Morocco from forging strong ties with powers just like the United States, the European Union, France or Spain, with whom there’s a actual logic of cooperation for well-established causes.

On the worldwide scene, Moroccan diplomacy tends to align itself with the positions of the “global South”, whether or not to defend extra inclusive worldwide financial and monetary reforms, providing extra voice to rising and growing nations, or on main crises such because the Israeli-Palestinian battle. In different instances, such because the Russian-Ukrainian battle, Morocco has adopted a cautious strategy, searching for to keep up a level of neutrality. In reality, this want to not systematically align with one camp displays the coherence of Sherifian diplomacy.