French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is expected to visit Morocco on Dec 15-16 to meet with her peer Nasser Bourita on several topics and prepare for President Emanuel Macron’s visit.
The French Minister will discuss the “visa crisis” and prepare a draft program for President Emmanuel Macron’s upcoming visit next January. Other topics of shared interest and related to bilateral cooperation are also on the agenda.
A press conference is planned following the talks between Bourita and Colonna.
The strain in Moroccan-French relations began in September 2021, when Paris decided to halve the number of visas granted to Moroccans, citing the kingdom’s reluctance to bring back its nationals in an illegal situation in France.
The withdrawal of France’s ambassador to Morocco Hélène Le Gal followed swiftly.
After several months of vacancy, Christophe Lecourtier has been pointed as the new ambassador, a sign that reconciliation is on the horizon.