HM the King receives French PM

PERSISMA, Casablanca – HM King Mohammed VI received, Wednesday at the Royal Palace of Casablanca, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who was accompanied by foreign minister Laurent Fabius and France’s ambassador in Rabat Charles Fries.

The Sovereign highlighted the special nature of the extensive, privileged partnership between the two countries and the full readiness of both of them to strengthen and deepen it further towards serving socio-economic development.

HM the King also welcomed the quality of the strategic dialogue between the two countries and, in particular, the fruitful consultation between the Sovereign and President François Hollande on bilateral, regional and international issues.

In this regard, he welcomed the future state visit of President Hollande to Morocco at the invitation of HM the King early next year. HM the King also emphasised the importance of the High-Level Meetings, whose 11th session will, undoubtedly, make it possible to enhance the win-win partnership between the two countries in all fields, in particular by mobilizing all possible means and by commitment of the various political, institutional, economic, social and cultural stakeholders for the implementation of the advanced regionalization in the Kingdom.

For his part, Jean-Marc Ayrault reaffirmed his country’s support for the reform and modernization momentum in Morocco, under the active leadership of HM the King.

Recalling that France is the first economic partner of Morocco, across all sectors, the French Prime Minister reiterated his country’s willingness to give fresh impetus to the special bilateral partnership, by making use of the respective strengths and potential in a globalized and changing world.

The two sides welcomed their active coordination in developing the Morocco-European Union advanced status within the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), or as part of the Western Mediterranean cooperation (5 +5).

Finally, the Sovereign and the French Prime Minister examined the major regional and international issues of common interest. They expressed their deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the Sahel, especially in Mali.

Calling for inclusive dialogue between all political Malian forces and encouraging on-going negotiations with non-terrorist groups in Mali, the two sides raised the joint call by Mali and ECOWAS for a military action against terrorist and jihadist groups.

Moreover, the Sovereign and the French Prime Minister, who emphasised the importance of the results of the Group of Friends of the Syrian people meeting, held Wednesday in Marrakech, agreed on the need to support the national coalition of the forces of the revolution and the Syrian opposition as part of a necessary political transition in Syria, and to strengthen humanitarian support for the Syrian people.

Finally, HM the King, chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, reiterated the need to find a new formula to revive the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in order to definitively resolve this conflict and lay the groundwork for the establishment of a fully viable, geographically contiguous Palestinian state on the recognized 1967 borders.