Has France gone back on its agreement on the development and use of civil nuclear energy with Morocco? The founding vice-president of the Israel-Morocco Chamber of Commerce (CCIM), Daniel Rouach, assured this in an editorial published on October 10, 2022 on the electronic newspaper Israel Valley. “The French, nuclear champions, do not really want to cooperate in this area. They fear Algeria’s reaction. And above all they do not want nuclear proliferation,” an Israeli expert reportedly told the concerned person.
If Mr. Rouach’s objective is to explain why Morocco would turn to Israel to develop its civilian program, to which he believes the various agreements signed since the reestablishment of bilateral relations in December 2020 would pave the way, he does not the fact remains that the statement in itself is worth its weight in gold and that, if true, would confirm the estrangement that now characterizes relations between Rabat and Paris in return for a rapprochement of this last with Algiers. This rapprochement finds an undeniable illustration in the visit made since October 9, 2022 to the eastern neighbor by the French Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, accompanied by sixteen ministers of her government, and this less than two months after the trip of President Emmanuel Macron in person.
On the side of Morocco, many had interpreted as a message addressed directly to France the part of the last speech of the Revolution of the King and the people of August 20, 2022 where King Mohammed VI had called “some countries that are among our partners“to what”they clarify and review the substance of their positioning, in a way that is unmistakable”.
With regard to civilian nuclear power, it should be remembered that an agreement was signed in July 2010, when it was Nicolas Sarkozy who held the reins of the Élysée. He planned to help Morocco to build, by 2022-2024, its first real nuclear power plant. Horizon in which we currently find ourselves.
Has France gone back on its agreement on the development and use of civil nuclear energy with Morocco? The founding vice-president of the Israel-Morocco Chamber of Commerce (CCIM), Daniel Rouach, assured this in an editorial published on October 10, 2022 on the electronic newspaper Israel Valley. “The French, nuclear champions, do not really want to cooperate in this area. They fear Algeria’s reaction. And above all they do not want nuclear proliferation,” an Israeli expert reportedly told the concerned person.
If Mr. Rouach’s objective is to explain why Morocco would turn to Israel to develop its civilian program, to which he believes the various agreements signed since the reestablishment of bilateral relations in December 2020 would pave the way, he does not the fact remains that the statement in itself is worth its weight in gold and that, if true, would confirm the estrangement that now characterizes relations between Rabat and Paris in return for a rapprochement of this last with Algiers. This rapprochement finds an undeniable illustration in the visit made since October 9, 2022 to the eastern neighbor by the French Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, accompanied by sixteen ministers of her government, and this less than two months after the trip of President Emmanuel Macron in person.
On the side of Morocco, many had interpreted as a message addressed directly to France the part of the last speech of the Revolution of the King and the people of August 20, 2022 where King Mohammed VI had called “some countries that are among our partners“to what”they clarify and review the substance of their positioning, in a way that is unmistakable”.
With regard to civilian nuclear power, it should be remembered that an agreement was signed in July 2010, when it was Nicolas Sarkozy who held the reins of the Élysée. He planned to help Morocco to build, by 2022-2024, its first real nuclear power plant. Horizon in which we currently find ourselves.