Macron in Rabat at the end of September

This information is confirmed by Atlasinfo, which relies on a French diplomatic source. This source reveals that "the visit to Paris by the head of Moroccan diplomacy, Nasser Bourita, was intended to work on the roadmap for Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Morocco".

However, the date of the French head of state's visit to the Cherifian kingdom has not yet been set. Initially scheduled for May, it has been postponed until the autumn, due to the European elections and the Paris Olympic Games.

In the meantime, a number of ministerial visits on both sides have been scheduled, following on from the visit to Rabat by the head of French diplomacy last February. It was a visit that struck a chord with the French public for its commitment to renewing relations between the two countries, which have become strained in recent years. 

France, which has always seen the Moroccan kingdom as the most credible African partner, intends to make up for lost time during these cold years. To this end, a first gesture has been made. And what a gesture! An investment of 10 million euros in the Sahara, thus giving economic recognition to this disputed part of Moroccan territory. This suggests that political recognition will be the icing on the cake during Macron's visit to Rabat.

In the meantime, France has made another gesture towards the Cherifian kingdom. That of "transferring 30 Emirati Mirage 2000-9 aircraft to Morocco, after having blocked them for three years", as reported by "Assahifa". This is likely to ruffle feathers in Morocco's eastern neighbor, which missed the chance to warm up its relations with Paris after Tebboune's visit to Paris, scheduled for May 2023, was postponed and probably cancelled due to the early presidential elections scheduled for September 7. 

All in all, the quarrel that has marked Franco-Moroccan relations in recent years has ended to the advantage of Rabat, which has reaped quite a few dividends from the warming of these relations. This is the result of thoughtful diplomacy marked by wisdom and a sense of proportion.