Visas: Catherine Colonna announces the restoration of normal consular cooperation
Coming to “warm up” Franco-Moroccan relations and prepare for Emmanuel Macron’s future visit to Morocco, the Head of French Diplomacy, Catherine Colonna, announced the restoration of consular cooperation at the end of her meeting with her Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. A resumption that, if successful, will put an end to the visa crisis that has strained bilateral relations in recent months.
During her visit to Morocco, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna came to warm up Franco-Moroccan relations, which had been cooled for months due to a number of issues between the two countries. Following her meeting with her Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, the head of French diplomacy made an announcement confirming Paris willingness to ease tensions. She declared the end of the visa crisis and the resumption of consular cooperation on Friday. “With our Moroccan partners, we have taken steps to restore a consular relationship” in the field of migration, she said at a joint press conference. “This cooperation is effective since last Monday, she said on this subject.
This announcement should pave the way for an end to the visa crisis, which has sowed mistrust in Paris as well as Rabat. In September 2021, Paris decided to cut the number of visas granted to Maghreb countries, including Morocco, in half. A decision that sparked the Moroccan authorities confusion at the time. This created a nightmare for Franco-Moroccan families and Moroccan nationals, many of whom had their applications denied for no apparent reason. This prompted several prominent French figures, including the president of the Senate Foreign Affairs Commission, Christian Cambon, to write to the French government and demand an end to consular restrictions.
The two officials used the press conference to discuss this matter. On the Moroccan side, Nasser Bourita noted that “The Kingdom has officially refrained from commenting, out of respect, a unilateral and sovereign choice of France”.
In addition, the head of French diplomacy, who is making her first visit to Morocco since entering office, was quick to highlight bilateral relations while calling the Kingdom “friendly country. “There is something special between Moroccans and French,” she stated.
She also invited to “write, together a new page, in a scenario when France and Morocco, need each other more than ever to preserve their security, promote their economic development and satisfy the expectations of their youth and their societies”.
Marcon will arrive in Morocco in early 2023.
The discussions appear to be successful, as Nasser Bourita reported a convergence of views on a number of areas of mutual interest. The visit of Catherine Colonna provides an opportunity to prepare for higher-level visits, as mentioned by Nasser Bourita, the head of Moroccan diplomacy, in reference to Emmanuel Macron’s possible visit to Morocco. According to AFP, the French president’s visit will take place in the “first quarter” of next year, though the Elysee has not yet revealed a specific date.