France is the Kingdom of Morocco’s primary partner from every perspective, both bilaterally and within the European Union. The official visit of the President of the French Republic, Mr. François Hollande, on April 3–4, 2013—leading a large delegation of sixty people, including 40 CEOs—reinforces the exceptional nature of the Moroccan-French relationship.
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Morocco-France: Bilateral Relations
France is the Kingdom of Morocco’s primary partner from every perspective, both bilaterally and within the European Union. The official visit of the President of the French Republic, Mr. François Hollande, on April 3–4, 2013—leading a large delegation of sixty people, including 40 CEOs—reinforces the exceptional nature of the Moroccan-French relationship. Around thirty agreements and conventions were signed on this occasion, particularly in the fields of education and vocational training for executives and new high-value-added professions for Morocco.
Institutional Partnership
In March 2000, His Majesty King Mohammed VI called for an « innovative and visionary partnership » between Morocco and France, both practically and strategically, considering Morocco’s developmental growth. The restructuring of Moroccan-French bilateral cooperation took place on July 25, 2003, with the signing of the Partnership Convention for Cultural Cooperation and Development. This partnership instrument involves economic and social operators, local authorities, civil society representatives, as well as the Moroccan community in France and the French community in Morocco. By renewing the legal basis of their partnership, Morocco and France also established a more efficient institutional framework based on:
- The High-Level Meeting (every two years)
- The Morocco-France Business Leaders Club
- The Partnership Orientation and Steering Council
- Sectoral and thematic committees
- The Partnership Forum
The 11th High-Level Meeting, held on December 13, 2012, in Rabat under the theme « Morocco-France: An Exceptional Partnership at the Service of Youth, » prioritized higher education and vocational training—two structural projects for Moroccan society.
Economic Cooperation
France remains Morocco’s top partner; trade exchanges reached nearly 89 billion MAD. France is the leading foreign investor in Morocco, with 6.52 billion MAD. Approximately 750 subsidiaries of French companies are established in Morocco. Most major French strategic industrial groups are present (34 of the CAC 40 companies). These French giants hold strategic positions in key sectors of the Moroccan economy: telecommunications, banking, insurance, tourism, retail, and recently transport and mining. The partnership is oriented toward implementing structural projects in infrastructure, education, and training. Flagship Public-Private Partnership projects include the Renault plant in Tangier and the Tangier-Casablanca High-Speed Line (LGV). French SMEs are also increasingly active on Moroccan soil.
Financial Cooperation
France is Morocco’s primary creditor, with 28 billion MAD in public debt, representing 14.29% of Morocco’s outstanding public external debt. Morocco is the top beneficiary of financial support from the French Development Agency (AFD), receiving 30 billion MAD between 1992 and 2012—equivalent to the support from the African Development Bank. The AFD is the top international lender for the National Port Agency and the top bilateral lender for the Moroccan Solar Plan.
Decentralized Cooperation
Morocco is a leading partner of the « Association of French Regions, » with eleven decentralized cooperation agreements signed between French and Moroccan regions. Since June 2011, this cooperation has been equipped with a new financial support instrument jointly managed by both countries. This mechanism (2011–2013) was allocated 2.5 million euros (1.2 million euros from France and 10 million MAD from Morocco).
Cultural Cooperation
France has 28 educational institutions in Morocco, hosting approximately 22,000 students (the largest French school network abroad).
Human Dimension:
- 800,000 Moroccans reside in France (excluding dual citizens).
- 32,000 Moroccan students are established in France (the largest contingent of foreign students).
- 100,000 French citizens reside in Morocco, 45,000 of whom are permanent residents.
