Doha \u2013 The Director General of the French Development Agency (AFD), R\u00e9my Rioux, announced Friday he will visit Morocco\u2019s southern provinces. This trip puts into action France\u2019s new stance on Western Sahara.<\/p>\n
Rioux made the announcement at a press briefing<\/a> today in Rabat after meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. Rioux framed his visit within the context of the Joint Declaration signed<\/a> in October 2024 between King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll remember that on this occasion, President Emmanuel Macron expressed France\u2019s new position on the southern provinces,\u201d Rioux stated. His current mission, he added, represents the \u201crapid operationalization\u201d of this strategic direction.<\/p>\n The AFD head confirmed his mandate now extends to the southern provinces. \u201cI\u2019m going tomorrow to La\u00e2youne and Sunday and Monday to Dakhla,\u201d he said. This marks a concrete step in fulfilling commitments made by Paris.<\/p>\n \u201cThe southern provinces form a strategic link with sub-Saharan Africa along the Atlantic facade,\u201d Rioux noted, describing it as \u201ca very important framework for action\u201d for the AFD group.<\/p>\n The AFD chief praised the solid partnership between Morocco and France. He affirmed that Morocco remains the group\u2019s top partner worldwide. \u201cMorocco represents more than 3 billion euros in ongoing projects, over 30 billion dirhams, 70 projects underway,\u201d he disclosed.<\/p>\n Rioux added that 80 AFD staff work on the ground in Morocco, which he called \u201cobviously very important.\u201d<\/p>\n His visit is part of the Enhanced Exceptional Partnership between the two countries. It reflects their shared desire to strengthen already rich bilateral cooperation and support inclusive and sustainable development across all regions of Morocco.<\/p>\n His comments build on a November 2024 statement when he first revealed AFD\u2019s plans for the region. \u201cThe AFD group will now invest in the Sahara, a link between Morocco and its neighboring countries,\u201d he declared then, according to Challenge magazine.<\/p>\n Read also: <\/b>AFD Report: Rhamna Community Embraces Traditional Skills to Boost Employment After Devastating Al Haouz Quake<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n At that time, Rioux talked about the \u201cpan-African\u201d approach shared by AFD and Morocco to strengthen ties across the continent. He pointed out that AFD\u2019s expansion into the Sahara shows the institution\u2019s commitment to supporting Morocco as a regional leader in Africa through economic and environmental initiatives.<\/p>\n In fact, France had shown<\/a> interest in Morocco\u2019s southern provinces even before its official July 2024 recognition. In April of that year, French Trade Minister Franck Riester confirmed an AFD subsidiary could help finance a high-voltage line between Dakhla and Casablanca during his two-day visit to Morocco.<\/p>\n This development dealt a blow to the Polisario Front and its main backer, Algeria, at the time. Shortly after, the UN clarified<\/a> that it does not monitor economic investments in the region, undermining separatist claims that such initiatives breach international law.<\/p>\n Paris has turned diplomatic statements into concrete actions on multiple fronts. Last month, the Occitanie region became<\/a> the first French region to partner with Morocco\u2019s Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region.<\/p>\n The European country also expanded visa services to Laayoune residents and updated its official maps to show Western Sahara as part of Morocco, including a recent<\/a> naval mission map.<\/p>\n