France invites Mohammed VI to Notre Dame's inauguration

Morocco's King Mohammed VI has been invited to the inauguration ceremony of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, scheduled for 7 December, according to French radio station Europe 1.  

The prestigious event, which marks the reopening of the iconic cathedral, is expected to be a historic moment for France. Numerous international leaders have been invited, including US president-elect Donald Trump, current president Joe Biden, as well as European monarchs such as King Felipe VI of Spain and King Charles III of the UK. 

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is also on the list, as is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.  

In addition to political figures, religious leaders, including the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Michael Dolan, and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, are also scheduled to attend.  

‘The list of invited personalities has been meticulously drawn up by the Elysée and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,’ he told Europe 1, adding that the event will host more than a hundred prominent personalities.  

For this reason, the French authorities are carrying out exhaustive preparations to ensure the success of the event, with a major deployment of security measures. 

In April 2019, a fire severely damaged the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Following this catastrophe, the Moroccan government, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, earmarked a significant financial contribution to support the restoration efforts of the cathedral. 

King Mohammed VI's invitation to the inauguration of Notre Dame comes shortly after the official visit to Morocco of French President Emmanuel Macron. This trip consolidated relations between the two countries and saw Rabat and Paris sign several agreements in different sectors that will further strengthen bilateral ties.  

During his stay in the Kingdom, Macron also took the opportunity to reaffirm his country's position on Western Sahara. The French leader considers Rabat's autonomy plan to be the ‘only basis’ for reaching a solution to the conflict.