Morocco-France partnership to address security challenges at international and regional levels reviewed in Rabat

partnership between Morocco and France to address security challenges at international and regional levels was revewed at a meeting in Rabat Thursday between Abdellatif Hammouchi,Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance,and his French counterpart Céline Berthon.

During their meeting,marking a new stage in Moroccan-French security cooperation,Hammouchi and Berthon discussed counterterrorism,securing upcoming major sporting events,and strengthening joint operations against espionage and transnational threats.

According to a statement from Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance,discussions between Hammouchi and Berthon,who was accompanied by a high-level security delegation,focused on ways to develop bilateral cooperation mechanisms in the security field and to strengthen the partnership between the two countries to address the security challenges posed by the international and regional environment—particularly terrorist threats in conflict zones in general,and in the Sahel-Sahara region in particular.

Talks also highlighted the need to reinforce joint security operations between Moroccan and French domestic intelligence services,which have repeatedly proven effective in neutralizing numerous terrorist threats at both regional and international levels,the statement said.

In this connection,Berthon praised the contribution of Moroccan security services to secure the safety of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. She also discussed with Hammouchi coordination methods and ways to strengthen joint efforts to ensure the success of the Africa Cup of Nations,which Morocco will host in 2025,as well as the 2030 FIFA World Cup,to be co-hosted by Morocco,Spain and Portugal. The focus was particularly laid on sharing expertise and operational data to address major public security risks.

Talks also covered the reinforcement of bilateral cooperation mechanisms between Morocco’s and France’s domestic security services to counter hostile threats against the two countries’ security,including the fight against foreign espionage and related activities.

According to the statement,this meeting reflects the great importance attached to Moroccan-French bilateral security cooperation,which stands as an effective and consistent model of comprehensive partnership—especially in the areas of counterterrorism,combating extremism and tackling illegal migration—based on a shared conviction of the need to develop a common,forward-looking vision to confront the full range of transnational criminal and terrorist threats.

It also highlights both countries’ shared conviction of the need to develop a joint proactive vision to address cross-border criminal and terrorist threats.