On Monday, the Moroccan King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the “Declaration of Exceptional Deep Partnership” between the two countries.

The official Moroccan news agency reported that the signing of the joint declaration included some agreements following talks between the leaders of the two countries at the Royal Palace in the capital Rabat.

The first agreement relates to a supply protocol for high-speed train locomotives and supporting elements. The third agreement represents an assistance contract between the National Office of Railways and the SYSTRA/EGIS company.

French President Emmanuel Macron began an official visit to Morocco on Monday, which will last for 3 days.

The visit comes after tensions between the two countries that began in September 2022 when France announced stricter visa conditions for Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian citizens, citing the refusal of the three countries to issue the necessary consular permits to repatriate (irregular) migrants from their nationals.

The crisis ended after Morocco appointed Samira Sitail as the new ambassador to Paris in October 2023, following the position being vacant for nearly a year, amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.