Moroccan Princesses’ Diplomatic Visit to Paris: Strengthening Franco-Moroccan Relations
Watan-The sisters of the Moroccan monarch King Mohammed VI, Princesses Maryam, Asmaa, and Hassna, paid a visit to the French capital, Paris, sparking questions about the objectives of this visit and the mission they were tasked with.
According to Moroccan media reports, the visit represented a prominent headline in the rapprochement between the Moroccan royal palace and the Elysee Palace, in response to an invitation from the First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron.
The Moroccan newspaper “Al-Sabah” considered this visit to strongly suggest the possibility of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Rabat soon, affirming that the step was taken under the directives of the Moroccan king for “the continuity of the historical friendship relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the French Republic.”
French-Moroccan rapprochement
The Elysee Palace announced that French President Emmanuel Macron recently had a telephone conversation with King Mohammed VI, without disclosing its date or content.
The visit of the sisters of the Moroccan monarch to Paris came days after the French Foreign Minister’s announcement of his efforts to improve relations with Rabat.
According to sources, the princesses, who do not play any official political role in the Kingdom of Morocco, participated in a lunch banquet held in their honor.
The foreign movements of the princesses indicate the strength of relations between Morocco and other countries beyond traditional diplomacy.
Personal friendship
The appearance of the princesses alongside the First Ladies, wives of heads of state, suggests the presence of personal friendships between the royal palace and the rulers of those countries.
Media reports had previously mentioned President Macron’s desire to visit Morocco for the first time since 2017 and to meet with King Mohammed VI.
The French visit to Morocco has been postponed since October 2022 when the Elysee occupant himself mentioned it when asked by a member of the Moroccan community residing in France, and the matter was documented in audio and video.
French-Moroccan relations
French-Moroccan relations took a negative turn since 2021 following the statements of former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna regarding the French president’s receipt of an invitation from King Mohammed VI to visit the kingdom following the Al-Hoceima earthquake.
However, relations between the two countries began to gradually improve over the past few months. King Mohammed VI received the French ambassador to Rabat, Christophe Lecourtier, and appointed Samira Sitail as ambassador of the kingdom to Paris.
The new French Foreign Minister, Stephane Sejourne, announced that he was tasked by President Macron to work on “ending misunderstandings” with Morocco and preparing to make a clearer statement regarding the Western Sahara issue.
The French minister spoke about the “clear and continuous support” for the Moroccan autonomy proposal by Paris, adding that “the time has come to move forward.”
