- An outdated agreement
- Economy, security, culture and geostrategy
- Economy: French investment in Morocco
- Security: cooperation in the military industry
- Culture: the primacy of the Francophonie
- Geopolitics and strategy: support for the Western Sahara plan
- Official signing at the end of the year
Morocco and France are finalising the details of the new Friendship Treaty that will govern bilateral relations between the two countries for the coming decades, with a more modern, peer-to-peer approach.
An outdated agreement
This treaty will replace the so-called La Celle-Saint-Cloud Agreement, signed on 6 November 1955 in France, which served as the basis for Morocco’s independence from the French protectorate, finally achieved on 2 March 1956. Under this agreement, France authorised the return to the throne of Mohammed V, grandfather of the current Moroccan monarch.
Since then, both countries have evolved and the relationship established by that agreement has changed radically: at the time, France and Morocco maintained a post-colonial relationship that is now completely outdated. The new treaty must be based on an approach to bilateral relations between equals, between two countries that have shared a common past and wish to maintain an economic and strategic alliance within the current geopolitical landscape.
The new treaty marks a new chapter in Franco-Moroccan bilateral relations. Pictured: Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita shakes hands with French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné in Rabat, Morocco, on 26 February 2024 – REUTERS/AHMED ELMJECHITIMI
Economy, security, culture and geostrategy
Thanks to the Moroccan media outlet Assahifa English, some details have emerged regarding the new Franco-Moroccan Friendship Treaty, which is still being negotiated between the two countries.
According to this outlet, the aim of the treaty is to modernise relations between Morocco and France, moving towards a relationship of equals, so that Morocco becomes France’s main strategic partner outside the European Union, whilst France consolidates its position as Morocco’s most important long-term strategic ally.
According to Assahifa, the new Friendship Treaty is structured around four main pillars: economy and industry; security and the military; culture and the Francophonie; and politics and geostrategy.
Economy: French investment in Morocco
According to details published by the Moroccan media outlet, the new treaty includes a commitment by France to make significant investments in the Moroccan industrial sector, particularly in the automotive (currently the most important sector of the Moroccan economy), rail, defence and maritime transport sub-sectors. The aim is to modernise these sectors with the most advanced technologies and to support exports.
For its part, Morocco would commit to granting preferential access to its market for French companies, in infrastructure development projects, maritime and rail transport, renewable energy and defence-related industrial projects.
All these sectors would benefit from the introduction of a series of tax incentives to promote the presence of French companies, which would constitute a significant competitive advantage over other countries.
Morocco pledges preferential treatment for French companies – PHOTO/X/FRENCH EMBASSY IN MOROCCO
Security: cooperation in the military industry
The second pillar would consist of improved cooperation between the two countries on defence and security, a key issue reflecting the renewed confidence in Franco-Moroccan bilateral relations, which are entering a new phase following President Emmanuel Macron’s significant state visit to Morocco in October 2024.
The treaty would provide for the transfer of military technology from France to Morocco, with the long-term aim of transforming the country into a regional hub for the production of light and heavy military equipment, including aircraft, ammunition, military vehicles and armoured systems.
Furthermore, joint military training programmes and exercises would be expanded, and coordination on security and intelligence matters would be strengthened, with the aim of addressing regional security challenges, such as the situation in the Sahel countries. The cultural pillar: Francophonie, influence and the training of Morocco’s future elite.
Culture: the primacy of the Francophonie
The third pillar of the new Treaty of Friendship, as revealed by Assahifa, concerns culture, which is by no means the least significant, but rather the opposite.
The issue is France’s determination to maintain the privileged position of the French language within Morocco’s education system, administration and economic sector, and to ensure it remains the primary language of business in Morocco, in the face of the rise of other languages such as English.
It is precisely the language that is one of the main legacies of the two nations’ shared past and constitutes a powerful instrument of cultural influence and strategic presence that France is not prepared to relinquish.
France’s aim is for the Moroccan political elite to continue using the French language. However, this is one of the main points of friction, as Morocco does not want the French-speaking world to become an obstacle to the country’s opening up to an international business language such as English.
French President Emmanuel Macron during one of the business meetings between Morocco and France – REUTERS/ABDELHAK BALHAKIA
Morocco is aware that most international markets and key partners such as the United States are English-speaking, and that communication with other economic powers such as China also takes place in English.
On the French side, the strengthening of the French-speaking world would be driven by measures such as wider access for Moroccan students to French universities, where Morocco’s elites have traditionally been educated, but also by increasing the presence of the French language in everyday life.
To this end, the treaty would promote the opening of new French cultural institutes, expanding the current network of 12 institutes located in various Moroccan cities, as well as new centres affiliated with the Alliance Française network, which has over 800 centres in 130 countries.
At the most basic educational levels, France also wishes to expand its network of French international schools in Morocco, covering both primary and secondary education, by opening new centres, particularly in the southern provinces.
Geopolitics and strategy: support for the Western Sahara plan
The fourth pillar is based on France’s support for Morocco’s sovereign interests within the United Nations Security Council, particularly regarding the autonomy plan for Western Sahara, a key issue for Moroccan foreign policy.
In addition to this support, the Treaty of Friendship also provides for diplomatic backing from France for Morocco within the institutions of the European Union, to defend its interests in sectors such as agriculture and fisheries, as well as within the frameworks of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
As for bilateral relations, according to Assahifa, France would be willing to grant Morocco broad access to colonial-era archives relating to the country’s historical borders and its eastern territories.
In return, France hopes to secure Moroccan support for participation in strategic alliances in West Africa, where the country has been losing ground over the past decade. The aim is to capitalise on Morocco’s position as a gateway to a region where France wishes to increase its presence, and where Moroccan companies and institutions are firmly established as major investors and key economic players on the African continent.
France is also pressing for greater Moroccan support in West Africa through strategic alliances involving Moroccan companies and institutions. Paris regards Morocco as a valuable gateway to a region where French influence has declined significantly over the last decade, amidst growing resistance to its colonial legacy.
Official signing at the end of the year
It is expected that, once negotiations on the final details have concluded, the new Treaty of Friendship will be officially signed during King Mohammed VI’s anticipated official visit to France later this year.
A visit that will be as significant for relations between the two countries as President Macron’s visit to Morocco in October 2024 was.