France's Macron looks to repair ties with Morocco on state visit

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron will begin a three-day state visit to Morocco on Monday, in a bid to repair relations with the north African country following years of tensions.

The trip, which follows an invitation by Moroccan King Mohammed VI in late September, marks "new ambitions for the next 30 years" of the France-Morocco relationship, according to Macron's office.

The Moroccan royal palace said the two countries have a "rooted and solid partnership" and share a desire to "strengthen the ties" that unite them.

The trip follows years of strained relations between Paris and Rabat over France's ambiguous stance on the disputed Western Sahara and Macron's quest for a rapprochement with Algeria.

Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is largely controlled by Morocco but claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which in 2020 declared a "self-defence war" and seeks the territory's independence.

Macron in July eased tensions between the countries, saying Morocco's autonomy plan for the territory was the "only basis" to resolve the decades-old conflict.

Khadija Mohsen-Finan, a political scientist focused on northern Africa, says the trip means the two countries have decided to improve relations and put aside their disputes.

The trip -- Macron's second to the country since 2018 -- will see the two heads of state meet one-on-one and sign several agreements on energy, water, education and security.

The two countries were also at odds after France in 2021 halved the number of visas it granted to Moroccans -- a decision that was revoked the following year.

Morocco has the potential to "constitute a hub between Europe and Africa", strategically but also in terms of infrastructure, particularly electricity, Macron's office said.

Mohsen-Finan said mending relations with the north African country will help France "rely on Morocco in Africa and the Sahel", where it has lost influence and the kingdom continues to expand its own.