Immigration, contracts: Macron continues his state visit to Morocco

State visit to Morocco, act two: Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech to the Moroccan Parliament on Tuesday, before new contract signings and a state dinner that should be worthy of the royal pomp that took place the day before his arrival.

Meanwhile, the new French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, who has made the fight against illegal immigration his hobbyhorse, will meet his counterpart Abdelouafi Laftit to see how to speed up the returns of Moroccans in an irregular situation arrested in France.

The French president was welcomed with great pomp on Monday by King Mohammed VI in order to rebuild ties that are as historic as they have been deeply strained for three years by quarrels between this Maghreb country and the former colonial power.

“Today in Rabat, we are opening a new chapter in the long history between Morocco and France and the next generation,” Emmanuel Macron concluded Monday evening on the social network X.

On the second day of his visit – which will end on Wednesday – he is due to meet Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and the presidents of both chambers before paying his respects at the mausoleum of Mohammed V, the first king of Morocco after independence in 1956.

The first highlight of the day, the speech to Parliament, will be an opportunity to revisit the historical links between the two countries and the question of Western Sahara.

This former Spanish colony, considered a “non-autonomous territory” by the UN, has for half a century pitted Morocco against the Sahrawi separatists of the Polisario Front, supported by Algiers.

– Video games –

After the United States, Spain and Germany, the French president took a major step towards Rabat by giving his support in July to the Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara.

He will then close the Morocco-France Entrepreneurial Meetings, an opportunity to secure new contracts after a series of agreements signed the day before in the presence of the king.

And will participate in a sequence dedicated to video games in the presence of French and Moroccan professionals, in order to help develop the sector in Morocco.

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In total, the commercial contracts, investments and loans concluded concern an amount of “up to ten billion euros”, announced the Elysée, without further details.

They concern rail transport, renewable energies of which Morocco intends to become a champion, water, the port sector and the energy transition.

In particular, the French group Egis is expected to participate in the construction of the second section of the Tangier-Marrakech high-speed train line. Alstom will also take part by negotiating the supply of 12 to 18 TGV trains. The first section was inaugurated by the king and the French president in 2018.

The French company TotalEnergies has signed one of the largest agreements for the development of the green hydrogen sector in Morocco.

– Returns and readmissions –

Another major component, Engie and the Office chérifien des phosphates have signed an agreement for a “partnership in the energy transition”, including renewable energies.

Accompanied by his wife Brigitte Macron and a large delegation of ministers, business leaders, intellectuals and entertainment personalities, the French president was greeted on Monday as he got off the plane with a long handshake from the monarch, in a dark suit and leaning on on a cane, to the sound of 21 cannon shots.

The two leaders then greeted the two delegations at length, at Place Mechouar, at the entrance to the royal palace.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco and French President Emmanuel Macron arrive at the Royal Palace in the capital Rabat on October 28, 2024 © POOL – Ludovic MARIN

In particular, the philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy and his wife Arielle Dombasle were present, sociologist Edgar Morin, actor Gérard Darmon, Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner and UNESCO director Audrey Azoulay, daughter of the advisor to the King of Morocco André Azoulay.

No fewer than nine French ministers are also on the trip, including those of the Economy Antoine Armand, of National Education Anne Genetet and of Culture Rachida Dati, of Moroccan origin.

The Minister of the Interior will discuss a “global partnership” covering both the “strengthening of the movement” of people between the two countries and the “management of irregular migration, including returns and readmissions”, the Elysée specified.

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