The repercussions of the Moroccan-French rapprochement, following Paris's announcement of its support for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, are expected to reach many areas, including military cooperation. In recent years, Morocco had shifted some of its military dealings away from France in favor of the United States and Israel.
Earlier French media reports indicated that Morocco had turned to other arms suppliers to replace its reliance on France, the latest being a billion-dollar deal with an Israeli company to acquire two satellites. This move by Rabat came after it decided against purchasing the satellites from a French company.
Military and security expert Mohamed Ettayer believes that military cooperation between Morocco and France will likely become "more advanced" due to France's supportive stance on the Moroccan Sahara, similar to "joint cooperation in other commercial and economic fields," as he told Assahifa.
Teyyar also mentioned that "Morocco's establishment of two military manufacturing zones serves as an incentive for French companies to enhance relations between the two countries and secure military deals in this context." He noted that security cooperation between the two countries, unlike military cooperation, does not require exceptional collaboration as it has not been affected by past crises between the two nations.
Teyyar further stated that "Morocco's security doctrine is based on building peace and security worldwide, and its mission has never been influenced by the diplomatic cooling between Morocco and France, nor by malicious media campaigns, or accusations from France concerning the Pegasus program, nor by various measures and provocations previously issued by France."
The expert added that "security cooperation primarily serves French national security, and France places this cooperation at the forefront of its relations with Morocco." In this context, it is noted that Abdellatif Hammouchi, the Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, made a working visit to France in late June at the official invitation of French security officials. During this visit, he held discussions with the French National Police, internal security, and external security agencies, focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation in various security fields of mutual interest.
It is worth noting that Morocco's military relations with France, particularly regarding arms deals, have declined recently, with Morocco increasingly relying on the United States. Imports from Washington have reached nearly 70% of Morocco's total arms imports, while imports from France have not exceeded 14%.
These figures are expected to change in the coming years, given the political rapprochement between the two countries, especially since France has officially joined the ranks of countries supporting Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, alongside the United States and Spain.
