France's Top MP Calls Southern Provinces a Regional ‘Success Model'
Doha – French Senate President Gérard Larcher said in Laâyoune on Monday evening that Morocco's Southern Provinces constitute 'a success model for the entire Sahelo-Saharan zone' as the region faces various tensions.
The top French parliamentarian made the remark following his morning meeting with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita in Rabat, where he reaffirmed that France's position on the Sahara issue is 'non-discutable' and underscored that the French-Moroccan relationship is built on 'a deep history and friendship.'
During his historic visit to Laâyoune, Larcher declared that France's new perspective on the Western Sahara dispute and the evolution of the French position is 'an obvious fact, a primary truth.'
He stressed that 'this obvious fact has undergone a long maturation process.' According to Larcher, the Senate had early on worked toward a diplomatic initiative so that France, which has always supported Morocco in its existential challenges, would take into account developments since 2007 and set aside any ambiguity.
France's support for the autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty as the sole framework for resolution 'is acquired and constitutes the position of the French Republic's institutions in their diversity,' he argued.
Larcher insisted that this support 'is not the result of a governmental policy. It now represents the policy of the French Republic.'
He said he was impressed with the remarkable development the Laâyoune region has experienced in recent years, citing large-scale infrastructure projects, social facilities, and the constant pursuit of sustainable development.
'This model is part of Morocco's geostrategic vision and presents itself as an opportunity for opening up and development for the states surrounding the Kingdom,' Larcher pointed out.
He announced the readiness of the Senate to make available to the North African country its experience in deconcentration and decentralization, proposing to advance cooperation between France and Morocco.
'Territorial communities present a rich potential for development and are a crucible for political, economic, and social cooperation in water management, transport, and digital transformation,' he stated.
Larcher further spoke of the need to give new momentum to territorial diplomacy between French and Moroccan communities, arguing that any proposal to resolve the Sahara question should embrace the fact that Morocco's borders extend 'from Tangier to the confines of the Sahara.'
For his part, Mohamed Ould Errachid, President of the Chamber of Councilors, the upper house of the Moroccan parliament, expressed his great pride in this visit with profound significance.
The visit constitutes not only a step to enhance achievements, but also a major historical event and an exceptional moment, marking a major turning point in bilateral relations, he reflected.
It especially reflects 'our common and resolute will to contribute concretely to writing glorious pages in the new chapter opened by the Heads of State of both countries,' projected the Moroccan MP, referring to the state visit made to Morocco by French President Emmanuel Macron at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.
Ould Errachid disclosed that the historical partnership between the two countries constitutes a unique model, praising the role of France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, in pushing for a solution that permanently recognizes Morocco's full sovereignty over its southern provinces.
The President of the French Senate is making an official visit to the country, leading a high-level delegation including the chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces Committee in the Senate, Cédric Perrin.
The delegation also includes the chairman of the France-Morocco friendship group, Christian Cambon, the President of the Union Centrist (UC) political group, Hervé Marseille, and the vice-president of the France-Morocco friendship group, Corinne Féret.
Another slap to Algeria and its proxy militia Polisario
The visit comes in the wake of France's formal recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara region in July 2024, when President Macron officially stated that 'the present and future of the Western Sahara lies within Moroccan sovereignty.'
Larcher's visit to Laâyoune is nothing short of a historic turning point, marking the most senior French parliamentary delegation to ever set foot in the Sahara.
During his stay, he also announced plans to enhance France's diplomatic and consular presence in the region, including the launch of a new Alliance Française in Laâyoune.
The visit has not gone unnoticed by Algeria, whose regime continues to fume at every step reinforcing Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara. As tensions between Paris and Algiers escalate, this visit delivers yet another blow to Algeria's relentless but futile attempts to obstruct Morocco's territorial integrity.
Furious over any recognition of Moroccan sovereignty, Algerian authorities had already lashed out at French Culture Minister Rachida Dati's visit in February, labeling it 'of particular gravity' and 'condemnable on more than one count.'
Now, with Larcher's high-profile visit, Algiers is expected to once again resort to its usual tantrums and diplomatic theatrics, desperately clinging to a lost cause.
In October 2024, a UN Security Council resolution, supported by 12 of its 15 members, called for a 'realistic and mutually acceptable' solution to the Western Sahara dispute – language that many interpret as favorable to Morocco's autonomy proposal. Tags: France-Morocco relationsWestern sahara
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