Mohammed VI will receive the French ambassador's credentials

The new French ambassador to Rabat, Christopher Lecourtier, will meet on Tuesday with the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, to whom the French diplomat will present his credentials, according to Maghreb Intelligence, based on reliable sources.

During this audience, the Moroccan monarch will also receive other ambassadors who have not yet presented their credentials, in accordance with diplomatic traditions. 

Christophe Lecourtier arrived in Morocco at the end of 2022 to replace Hélène Le Gal. On 30 December of that year, he presented his credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita. Since taking office in Rabat, Lecourtier has worked to improve relations between Morocco and France due to the current crisis between the two countries.

Ties between Rabat and Paris are not at their best due, in part, to the diplomatic rapprochement between France and Algeria, as well as the French rejection of Moroccan demands regarding Western Sahara, an issue on which the Elysée has taken a different path to other countries such as the United States, Spain and Israel.  

The rift between the two countries has deepened with the earthquake in Morocco this month, as several French media questioned the Kingdom's health structures and the authorities' strategy for dealing with the catastrophe. Moreover, the controversy continued after the Moroccan authorities did not request aid from France in the aftermath of the earthquake.  

Nor did Morocco like Macron's gesture after the disaster, as he addressed the Moroccans via his Twitter account instead of using official diplomatic channels or even the Moroccan media.

Tension between the two countries has been rising after Morocco expelled two French journalists who were covering the aftermath of the earthquake for, according to Rabat, concealing their profession.

On the other hand, the post of Moroccan ambassador to France has remained vacant since Mohammed VI recalled Mohamed Benchaâboun from Paris on 17 January 2023, the same day that the European Parliament voted for a hostile resolution against the Kingdom that was proposed and supported by the Renew group, linked to Macron's party.