France and Morocco issued a formal call for expressions of interest today in a project to interconnect their electricity systems, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced after a Franco-Moroccan high-level meeting held in Rabat.
According to a French briefing document cited by officials, the project is intended to determine commercially viable approaches to exporting renewable electricity from Morocco to France. The energy link is presented as one among multiple economic initiatives aimed at creating fresh synergies between firms in both countries and further integrating Morocco and France into shared value chains.
Beyond the electricity initiative, the two governments signed a series of cooperation accords covering a range of areas, including finance, civil aviation, education, culture and diplomacy. Those agreements were concluded during the Rabat meeting as part of a broader push to deepen bilateral ties.
Lecornu said the measures are tied to preparations for a bilateral treaty that would represent France's first such accord with a country outside the European Union. The treaty is slated to be signed during an upcoming visit to France by King Mohammed VI; officials have not provided a timetable for that visit.
The French prime minister also highlighted a change in the diplomatic landscape since Paris recognized Rabat's sovereignty over Western Sahara in 2024, saying: "I reaffirm here that this position is unwavering. It will not change," Lecornu said.
Security cooperation formed another central thread of the discussions. Lecornu pointed to recent results, saying that collaboration with Morocco has delivered "unprecedented operational successes" in recent weeks in confronting organized crime and drug trafficking. The two countries are preparing a comprehensive security agreement to formalize and extend that cooperation.
Officials framed the electricity interconnection as a commercially focused exercise to identify viable export pathways for renewable generation, while the broader set of cooperation agreements is intended to strengthen economic and institutional links across multiple sectors.
Key facts:
- A call for expressions of interest was issued for an electricity interconnection to export renewable power from Morocco to France.
- Cooperation agreements were signed in finance, civil aviation, education, culture and diplomacy.
- Preparations continue for a bilateral treaty to be signed during King Mohammed VI's forthcoming visit to France; timing has not been disclosed.