Foreign Trade Minister Franck Riester is traveling to Rabat and Casablanca this weekend. France wants to continue the resumption of dialogue with its Moroccan partner by relying on a dynamic commercial relationship.
Casablanca is slowing down. At the end of Ramadan, the streets are deserted and the weather has cooled as a thick fog has fallen over the city. It’s hard to believe that the thermometer will exceed 30 degrees the next day, continuing the exceptionally hot and dry winter that Morocco has just experienced. It is so tempting to see in this changing weather the image of the diplomatic yo-yo that has been playing out in recent years between Paris and Rabat. After a severe diplomatic quarrel, the horizon cleared at the end of 2023 and the current succession of French ministers visiting the kingdom bears witness to this.
After the head of diplomacy Stéphane Séjourné at the end of February, it is the turn of the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Attractiveness Franck Riester this week: in Rabat for a resumption of dialogue with his counterparts, then in Casablanca, at the meeting of the Franco-Moroccan business community, then high school students and students. He will be followed in the coming weeks by Bruno Le Maire (Economy), Rachida Dati (Culture) and Marc Fesneau (Agriculture).
A diplomatic ballet that contrasts with the breakdown in dialogue imposed by the Moroccans last year. In the meantime, France made a gesture on Western Sahara. Without going so far as to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over this region, Paris recognized that it was “an existential issue for Morocco” and declared that it had to “move concretely” on the Moroccan autonomy plan. A few words that made the difference on this sensitive issue.
“Month of Lead”
Thursday, in the economic capital of the kingdom, Franck Riester brought together key players in the French economic presence around a table to take the temperature: the embassy, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CFCI) of Morocco, Business France, Bpifrance, French Development Agency (AFD)… The mines are serious when the recent diplomatic crisis is mentioned: one speaks modestly of a “cold period” that caused inertia to last after the pandemic. Another recounts the “months of lead” and “the doors that closed.” Everyone agrees on the current “dynamic”: “We must seize this period of rebound to accelerate,” we repeat.
We must seize it because Morocco is teeming with projects: in renewable energies and green hydrogen, water management, and even transport. After automobiles and aeronautics, the kingdom wants to develop the railway sector – a call for tenders for some 168 trains will soon be launched given the 2030 Football World Cup co-organized by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, and which is on everyone’s minds. The health sector should also offer opportunities as health insurance becomes generalized to the entire Moroccan population.
Financing in the Sahara
What could be better, moreover, to consolidate a fragile reconciliation than to rely on the very close economic relationship between the two countries? It got through this period of turbulence without too much damage. Trade even reached a historic record at 14.1 billion euros last year, twice as much as in 2015. The fundamentals are solid: France remains the leading investor in Morocco. The CFCI of Morocco also maintains its first place among the 120 CFCIs around the world with around 3,500 members. Morocco remains France’s main trading partner in Africa.
“Through economic and commercial issues, we can bring this relaunch of our relationship with Morocco to life and deepen it at a pivotal moment where there are a large number of challenges that we can meet together: ecological transition, decarbonization, regionalization of value chains…” explains Franck Riester to “Echos”.
It is also through its economic presence that France could make new gestures in Western Sahara. In declaring that it was necessary to “move forward” on this issue, Paris cited the objective of “promoting the economic and social development of these regions”. Franck Riester confirmed this: “We are ready to support Moroccan investments in the Sahara, which are numerous. This is the reason why Proparco [subsidiary of the AFD, Editor’s note] could be required to finance the very high voltage line project which should connect Dakhla to Casablanca,” declared the minister, confirming information from the Moroccan press. Rabat is planning numerous major projects in the territory of Western Sahara, particularly in energy but also transport, around the port of Dakhla which should transform into a regional hub.
