France and Morocco expand partnership during prime minister’s visit

France and Morocco have taken new steps to strengthen their relationship as French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu visited Rabat for high level talks focused on security, economic cooperation and regional stability. The visit highlighted the growing partnership between the two countries, although fresh allegations involving the Pegasus spyware drew renewed attention during the meetings.

Speaking in the Moroccan capital, Lecornu described relations between France and Morocco as exceptionally positive and said the partnership had entered an important new phase. He credited recent diplomatic progress with creating stronger trust between the two governments and said France wanted to further expand cooperation in key areas, particularly security and counterterrorism.

The renewed relationship follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision in 2024 to support Morocco’s claim of sovereignty over Western Sahara. That move marked a major shift in French policy and helped improve ties that had previously been affected by several diplomatic disagreements. Since then, both governments have worked to rebuild confidence and increase cooperation on political, economic and security issues.

Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch welcomed the stronger relationship and said both countries now share a common strategic vision built on mutual trust and shared ambitions. He described the partnership as an important foundation for future cooperation and emphasized the commitment of both governments to maintaining close ties.

The visit resulted in the signing of several agreements aimed at expanding collaboration across different sectors. France and Morocco also signed what officials described as an enhanced exceptional partnership, reflecting their intention to further deepen bilateral relations in the coming years.

Despite the positive tone of the visit, new reports involving the Pegasus spyware created an unexpected challenge. An international media consortium led by Forbidden Stories published fresh claims alleging that Morocco had used the Israeli developed surveillance software to monitor French officials during a period of strained relations between the two countries.

According to the reports, investigators found traces suggesting that phones belonging to several French ministers, including Lecornu, may have been targeted. The reports also claimed that Moroccan authorities had previously used the spyware against domestic political opponents.

Pegasus is highly advanced surveillance software that can secretly infect smartphones and allow operators to access messages, track locations and activate cameras and microphones without the owner’s knowledge. The technology has drawn global attention in recent years after allegations that it was used by several governments to monitor journalists, politicians and activists.

Morocco has consistently denied all accusations related to the use of Pegasus and has repeatedly asked for evidence to support the claims. The country has rejected previous allegations made in 2021 and maintained its position following the latest reports.

The media investigation also claimed that France had at one stage considered acquiring the same surveillance technology. French officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding those claims.

Originally, Lecornu and Akhannouch were expected to hold a joint press conference after their meeting. However, the two leaders instead delivered short statements to reporters without taking questions, avoiding direct discussion of the spyware allegations.

The French presidency said its main objective remains strengthening cooperation and building greater trust with Morocco. Officials emphasized that both countries are focused on expanding collaboration despite past disagreements.

Relations between France and Morocco had faced several challenges in recent years, including disputes over visa policies and earlier accusations of espionage. However, both governments now appear committed to moving beyond those differences and building a broader partnership based on shared interests, regional security and long term cooperation.