French president Emmanuel Macron to make state visit to Morocco in October, Moroccan palace announces

French President Emmanuel Macron will make a three-day state visit to Morocco, the Moroccan royal palace announced on Monday, which it described as a reflection of ‘the depth of bilateral relations based on a deep-rooted and solid partnership’.

It comes after France laid the groundwork for a revival of bilateral relations in July, by voicing its backing for an autonomy plan proposed by Morocco for the disputed Western Sahara, marking a shift from its previous stance.

It came after similar changes from countries including the US, Israel, and an increasing group of African countries with which Morocco aims to bolster trade ties.

Macron described the plan as the only solution to a decades-long dispute over the territory between Morocco, which claims it as its own land, and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which says it is an independent state.

France’s change of stance on the Western Sahara sparked the ire of Algiers, which immediately revoked its ambassador to Paris.

Tensions between France and Morocco had spiked when France cut visas for Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in 2021.

Restrictions which were later lifted.