The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today, Saturday, that French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Morocco "is not scheduled and not programmed," following an announcement by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. A government source in Morocco told the official Moroccan News Agency that the French president's visit is not on the agenda after Minister Colonna stated yesterday in an interview with a French news channel that President Macron "received an official invitation from Moroccan King Mohammed VI to visit the Kingdom of Morocco."
The Moroccan government source expressed surprise that "Ms. Colonna took this unilateral initiative and took it upon herself to issue a non-consulted announcement regarding an important bilateral event." Morocco has postponed Macron's visit several times last year, and relations between the two countries have cooled over the past few years due to the Western Sahara issue, with Morocco seeking France's recognition of its sovereignty, similar to several friendly nations.
The Moroccan king stated in a speech to the Moroccan people last year that his country views the world through the "lens" of the Sahara. Morocco has accepted aid from several countries, such as Spain, Britain, Qatar, and the UAE, but did not respond to France's offer of support following the devastating earthquake that struck the Al-Haouz region near Marrakech last week. Colonna previously described this controversy as "misplaced." A video of President Macron was shared on social media in which he stated: "I wanted to address Moroccans directly to tell you that France is very saddened by this terrible earthquake. We will stand by you."
