The French Foreign Minister in Rabat on December 15 and 16

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna will travel to Rabat on December 15 and 16 to discuss the thorny issue of visas, and prepare a plan for President Emmanuel Macron's visit in January, Le Quai told AFP on Thursday December 8. d'Orsay.

“

,” said a spokeswoman.

“

” she added, citing in particular the visa file.

A press conference is scheduled at the end of this bilateral meeting.

In September 2021, Paris decided to halve the entry permits granted to Moroccans, citing the kingdom's reluctance to readmit its nationals in an irregular situation in France.

This measure, described as "

" by Rabat, "

" by humanitarian NGOs and "

" in French-speaking Moroccan circles, has poisoned relations for a year.

Read alsoFewer visas for North Africans

The spokesperson did not specify whether the Western Sahara file would be discussed during Catherine Colonna's trip, which should make it possible to prepare for the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron in January.

The Western Sahara conflict has pitted Morocco against the Sahrawi separatists of the Polisario Front, supported by Algiers, for decades.

The Polisario calls for a self-determination referendum while Rabat promotes autonomy under its sovereignty.

As part of an agreement negotiated by former President Donald Trump, the United States recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the former Spanish colony in December 2020, in return for a resumption of diplomatic ties between Morocco and Israel.

Since then, Rabat has been insistently pushing France, which has always supported Morocco in this conflict, to recognize in turn the “

”, as Spain has done.

A sign that relations seem to be on the way to calming down after several months of vacation, a new French ambassador has been appointed.

This is the current director general of Business France, Christophe Lecourtier, who received approval from the Moroccan authorities on Tuesday, the quay also told AFP on Thursday.