Hollande’s landmark visit to Morocco
Al-Bab Report
French President Francois Hollande paid a two-day historic visit to Morocco, leading a large delegation to show the importance of Morocco. Hollande arrived on 19th September in Tangier to meet King Mohammed VI. The French delegation included not only senior officials in French government, but also key players like entrepreneurs, parliamentarians as well as intellectuals.
Hollande stated that his prime objective was to strengthen more economic ties between the two countries.
French group Alstom delivered its first TGV high-speed train to Morocco in June as part of a 400-million-euro order for 14 trains for the Tangiers-Casablanca route.
Hollande and King Mohammed VI held talks on averting radicalism and signed an agreement on the training of imams.
The Climate change was also discussed, ahead of the COP21 United Nations Conference on Climate Change to be held in Paris in November.
Morocco, which will host the COP22 event at the end of 2016, is the first Maghreb country to have submitted its contribution to lowering emissions, with the goal of moving to 42 per cent use of renewable energy by 2020.
The talks were centred on promoting bilateral relations between the two countries in a sustained manner. Morocco and France confirmed the continuity of their agreement on major world issues. The quality of the dialogue maintained at the highest level and the shared desire to put their exemplary partnership on a more ambitious trajectory was the focus of this visit of the French President François Hollande to Tangier.
The road map was drawn automatically. President Holland clearly said: “France reaffirms its commitment to the friendship between France and Morocco and emphasizes its uniqueness through the many links between our two countries.”
French and Moroccan media unanimously outlined that President Hollande’s visit reiterated the deep and multifaceted relationship. The meeting between King Mohammed VI and President Hollande reflected the unique nature of this partnership and the strong commitment of both parties to strengthen and deepen further socio-economic development. The two leaders stressed the potential for economic development between France and Morocco and the opportunities now open for more cooperation. Both Morocco and France are already trade partners in many commodities. They remain even more ambitious for more trade relations that will benefit not only Morocco but the whole region.
Undoubtedly, this working and friendship visit will reinforce the strategic dialogue and will benefit the economy of both countries. Many observers believe that this visit will have a far-reaching impact on international issues since both countries have shown a full coordination and convergence of views.
