Boureima Amadou
Morocco and France deepen strategic defense ties in Rabat
Under the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of Staff of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR), Abdeltif Loudyi, Morocco’s Minister Delegate to the Head of Government responsible for National Defense Administration, hosted French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Catherine Vautrin in Rabat today.
The meeting took place in the presence of a high-ranking Moroccan military delegation led by the Army Corps General, Inspector General of the FAR and Commander of the Southern Zone. The French delegation, headed by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, is currently on an official working visit to Morocco for the 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting aimed at strengthening and diversifying bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
During the discussions, both sides signed a technical arrangement and a memorandum of understanding focused on bilateral defense industry cooperation, as confirmed by a statement from the National Defense Administration.
The two officials also addressed bilateral and regional matters, exploring pathways to enhance and broaden defense cooperation between Morocco and France. A shared commitment emerged to solidify these relations by implementing the legal instruments signed during the 15th High-Level Session.
Twenty-two ministers from both countries participated in the High-Level Meeting, co-chaired by Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu. The session concluded with the signing of eleven cooperation agreements spanning diverse fields, including the development of a Regional Express Rail (RER) network in Rabat, water resources management, and decentralization initiatives.
The 15th Morocco-France High-Level Meeting unfolds against a backdrop of exceptional partnership and deepening political ties, highlighted by France’s historic shift in stance—officially supporting Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and recognizing Moroccan authority over its southern provinces.
