French FM to visit Morocco for talks as King Mohammed VI’s France trip takes shape

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot will travel to Morocco later this week for bilateral talks and to participate in the World Women’s Forum for Peace, as Paris and Rabat seek to strengthen ties ahead of an expected state visit by King Mohammed VI to France in January 2027.

France’s Foreign Ministry announced the visit on Thursday, saying it would provide an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues. The ministry did not disclose details of the planned meetings or identify the Moroccan officials Barrot is expected to meet.

The trip comes as preparations continue for King Mohammed VI’s long-anticipated visit to France, although a final date has yet to be agreed upon, a diplomatic source at the French Embassy in Morocco told Hespress AR.

The source said current indications point to January 2027 as the likely timeframe, but stressed that the precise date remains a matter to be settled between Morocco’s Royal Palace and the French presidency.

Preparations for what the source described as a historic visit have been underway for an extended period. The two sides are also working on an unprecedented treaty between France and a country outside the European Union, which is expected to involve Morocco during the king’s visit. The source declined to provide further details about the proposed agreement.

French newspaper La Tribune Dimanche previously reported that the Élysée had proposed scheduling the state visit during the third week of January 2027.

In its September 27 edition, the newspaper cited a diplomatic source as saying that France had suggested the timeframe, while noting that the final date had not yet been approved and was expected to be confirmed in the following weeks.

The latest indications provide a more specific timeframe for the visit, after Le Monde reported in July that the state visit had been postponed until early 2027. It had initially been scheduled for autumn 2026.

Barrot’s diplomatic agenda

Barrot’s Moroccan visit will follow his participation in the ninth edition of the Paris Peace Forum, which runs through November 11. He is scheduled to attend events on Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon, including meetings with foreign counterparts and discussions on international conflicts.

The French minister will also take part in a session on children in Ukraine and a discussion on an initiative led by France and Mexico concerning the use of veto powers at the United Nations Security Council. He is also due to mark the 10th anniversary of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas.

The Moroccan stop forms part of a broader diplomatic agenda during France’s presidency of the Group of Seven (G7).

A meeting of G7 foreign ministers is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Paris, with discussions expected to cover the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan, Haiti, tensions in the Horn of Africa and developments in the Indo-Pacific.

According to the French Foreign Ministry, the talks will also address cooperation against drug trafficking, humanitarian supply chains and artificial intelligence.

Barrot’s visit comes as France and Morocco seek to build on renewed diplomatic momentum and expand cooperation across political, economic and strategic areas, following a period of tensions over Paris’ position on the Sahara file.

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