French Think-Tank Welcomes Relaunching Mutual Trust-Based Paris-Rabat Ties

President of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), Thierry de Montbrial, has praised the momentum of relaunching French-Moroccan relations based on mutual understanding and trust. “The fact that the two countries are at a stage where they share common understanding of the challenges and a willingness to rebuild mutual trust is precious and promising”, de Montbrial told MAP, on the sidelines of a debate organized Wednesday by IFRI on the prospects for a strengthened strategic partnership between Rabat and Paris, with the participation of HM the King’s Ambassador to Paris, Samira Sitail. De Montbrial, also a member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, stressed that “Morocco, a great country with a political system rooted in history and a very strong legitimacy, and France, which is also a great nation, share many common points, and their interests are extremely complementary”. He underlined that in a global context marked by the multiplicity of challenges and the scarcity of resources, the two countries have rightly chosen to define the areas in which they can strengthen their partnership, notably in energy, climate and cultural exchange. These choices, he believes, will be more relevant if they are made according to partnership models with African countries in a logic of complementarity and co-development. Referring to the Moroccan Sahara issue, IFRI head called for approaching the issue in line with the current reality, noting that it is time for France “to make choices”, as “in today’s complex world, it is increasingly difficult to multiply ambiguities”. “Today, we are facing a new world, with new challenges, new conditions and new actors. A world that calls for new choices”, he stated, adding that “we cannot remain indefinitely in ambiguity” regarding the Sahara issue. “It is in accordance with the interests of the Maghreb countries, Africa and the security of European countries”, he stressed. The  President of IFRI, France’s leading institution for research and debate on international relations, also expressed his admiration for Morocco’s achievements in all fields, and the role the Kingdom plays in the economic development of many African countries. With four decades’ experience, IFRI has become a global reference recognized by its peers. Ranked for the past three years in the top three of the world’s most influential think tanks by the University of Pennsylvania’s Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, IFRI is also ranked 5th overall and 4th in Europe in 2021.