French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna wrapped up, Friday, a two-day visit to Morocco where she met with her Moroccan counterpart to discuss some pressing issues, on top of which the visa crisis and the future of bilateral ties.
In a press conference with peer Nasser Bourita, Colonna announced the resumption of normal consular activity between Morocco and France. That was one card off the table and it ended in favor of Morocco.
Yet, Morocco never asked France, officially, to go back on its decision which the Kingdom deemed, unilateral, but sovereign. Moroccan citizens simply switched to more appealing tourism destinations as Turkey and Italy. In fact, there is even a growing trend among students and their parents to pursue studies in English rather than in French, a fact that may threaten the “Francophonie” in general.
It would seem that France retracted its misplaced decision because it was prejudicial to its own interests.
During the press conference, Bourita said that the geopolitical mutations under way urge France to rethink and reinvent its relations with Morocco. The ties are, indeed, multifaceted and built on solid bases, yet they are witnessing some difficulties due to the lack of adaptation to the regional and international context, according to Bourita.
The Kingdom of Morocco has enriched and diversified its partnerships, drawing on multilateralism and openness, and an outdated, old-fashioned bond with France can be hampering and damaging to its interests, mainly to the national cause.
On the Sahara issue, Bourita stated that France’s position was never negative, but this stance should and must evolve to keep pace with the Sahara question which witnessed many developments over the past years.
On the French side, the same refrain was heard. Colonna said that France’s position over the Sahara issue is clear and unwavering. It is in favor of the autonomy initiative, negotiations, the ceasefire and the efforts by the UNSG envoy. Basically, a rigid stance that refuses to grow and evolve. A position that does not match the legitimate expectations of Morocco.
The press conference unveiled one thing: the matter of position over the Sahara is still unresolved. Morocco is insisting on a change in France’s stance while the European country thinks that such shift should be done on a voluntary-basis.