ESSAOUIRA, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot held high-level diplomatic talks on Friday in Essaouira, known as the City of Alizés, to reaffirm and deepen the Morocco-France strategic partnership.

The meeting took place within the framework of the “Reinforced Exceptional Partnership” signed on October 28, 2024, by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron. During the discussions, both ministers welcomed the positive momentum and density of bilateral friendship and cooperation, reflecting the shared vision of the two heads of state.

Advancing Multidimensional Bilateral and Regional Cooperation

Reviewing the breadth of Morocco-France relations, Bourita and Barrot explored concrete avenues to expand collaboration across political, economic, cultural, and human fields in line with the mutual ambitions of both nations.

Emphasizing a partnership anchored in mutual trust and close consultation, the two foreign ministers outlined several key areas of alignment:

• Regional Peace and Stability: Both officials agreed to strengthen coordination on strategic priorities serving peace, stability, and development across the Maghreb, Sahel, Mediterranean, and Middle East.

• Middle East and the Two-State Solution: Bourita and Barrot welcomed their convergence of views on pressing international and regional matters, notably the situation in the Middle East and the two-state solution, reaffirming their joint commitment to a just, comprehensive, and lasting regional peace.

France Reaffirms Consistent Stance on the Moroccan Sahara

During the Essaouira talks, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot reiterated France’s firm and consistent position regarding the Moroccan Sahara, reaffirming that "the present and future of the Sahara are part of Moroccan sovereignty."

Barrot also underscored Paris’s steadfast support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative as the "single basis" for negotiations aimed at reaching a definitive political settlement to the artificial conflict over the Moroccan Sahara—consistent with the position France reaffirmed during the United Nations Security Council meeting on October 30, 2026.