The meeting was initially postponed, but has now been postponed indefinitely due to new tensions that have arisen between Morocco and France in the aftermath of the earthquake

Mohammed VI cancels meeting with Macron in Paris

PHOTO/ARCHIVO - El rey Mohamed VI recibe en Rabat al presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron — PHOTO/FILE - King Mohamed VI receives French President Emmanuel Macron in Rabat

Margarita Arredondas

Updated: 18/09/23

The recent visit to Paris by the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, was expected to be an opportunity for the Kingdom and France to overcome their differences and initiate a new stage in their bilateral relations after several months of tension. Finally, after numerous requests from the Elysée, the Moroccan monarch was to have a face-to-face dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron, with the aim of putting an end to the current crisis that has driven a wedge between the two historic allies.

However, the dinner did not take place due to the hasty return of Mohammed VI to Morocco after the devastating earthquake that affected several regions of the country, killing an estimated 3,000 people. "The Alawite sovereign was supposed to be at the head of the rescue, relocation and compensation operations for the victims of the earthquake," reports Maghreb Intelligence.

The meeting between Mohammed VI and Macron was initially postponed, but has now been postponed indefinitely, according to Maghreb Intelligence. According to Maghreb Intelligence, this is due to "a series of blunders by Emanuel Macron and his Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna". Both the Elysée and the foreign ministry have tried to exert direct and indirect "pressure" on Morocco, not to get it to accept humanitarian aid from France after the earthquake, but "to ensure a moment of glory in the international media spotlight".

AFP/FETHI BELAID - Residentes rescatan pertenencias de los escombros de la aldea de Imoulas en la provincia de Taroudant, una de las más devastadas en Marruecos tras el terremoto, el 11 de septiembre de 2023 — **AFP/FETHI BELAID** - Residents rescue belongings from the rubble of the village of Imoulas in Taroudant province, one of the most devastated in Morocco after the earthquake on 11 September 2023.

For Rabat, "this clumsy diplomatic ploy and media harassment" has only worsened the situation between the two countries. "At a time when the Kingdom is facing a real catastrophe, France's sole objective was to get its way, without consulting the Moroccan authorities," the media outlet adds.

"Unlike many other friendly countries, France wanted to take advantage of the media momentum, ignoring the humanitarian approach", explains a former French diplomat who was posted in Rabat to Maghreb Intelligence.

On the other hand, diplomatic relations between Morocco and France have deteriorated further after the French Foreign Minister announced from Cairo that Macron would visit the Kingdom. This is a serious breach of protocol, according to Rabat, where an authorised government source assured that he was not aware of any planned visit by the French president to Morocco.

Tags: