In his first public appearance as France’s ambassador to Morocco, Philippe Lalliot used the Spring Meeting of the Paris Peace Forum, held at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Rabat on June 4-5, 2026, to outline his vision for bilateral relations. Speaking a day after presenting his credentials to the King, Lalliot defended the relevance of multilateral rules amid global crises.
“International law is not dead. Its founding principles are just. It must be defended as a principle, because it is precisely the shield of those who have none,” he said, underlining its role as a global public good. For the diplomat, international law remains “the condition of peace, stability, and security for the greatest number.”
Lalliot stressed that reflections on global imbalances and their solutions are “at the heart of the exceptional partnership linking France and Morocco.” He described the “Franco-Moroccan method” as a model for others. “I am convinced that our two countries, through their shared history and common vision of these challenges and the future, have a responsibility to set an example,” he stated, adding that this means bringing people together, especially ahead of key bilateral or multilateral milestones.
As a concrete early initiative, the ambassador noted the launch of a nearly 350-million-euro program to support Morocco’s national water management strategy. The project focuses on better understanding water resources, including groundwater, managing climate-related water events such as floods, and reusing wastewater. This comes as debates in Rabat conclude on energy and food security, topics central to the upcoming G7 summit in Évian (June 15-17), while France and Morocco prepare a new cooperation framework expected soon.
