Since assuming office at Matignon ten months ago, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had not yet undertaken any foreign visits. This week marks a significant shift as he embarks on his inaugural international diplomatic tour.

His journey began in Doha on Tuesday, where he was joined by former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to convey France’s official condolences following the death of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the nation’s former ruler. The visit was personally authorized by President Emmanuel Macron, who emphasized the move as “a testament to the deep friendship between France and Qatar.”

The Qatari government had announced the former emir’s passing at age 74 over the weekend. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani had led Qatar from 1995 until his unexpected abdication in favor of his fourth son in 2013. His funeral took place Sunday evening.

Following the announcement, the Élysée Palace highlighted the late emir’s pivotal role in Qatar’s transformation, praising his “historic modernization” and “innovative, effective diplomacy.”

Strengthening ties with Morocco

After concluding his duties in Qatar, Prime Minister Lecornu landed in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday evening for a two-day visit. He will be accompanied by a delegation of over a dozen ministers, including Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.

Central to the agenda is a high-level meeting with Morocco’s Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, the first such encounter since 2019. The visit aims to bolster relations between France and Morocco, which have steadily improved since President Macron’s landmark acknowledgment in summer 2024 of Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory—a move that strained relations with Algeria.

Macron’s subsequent three-day state visit to Rabat in October 2024 further eased tensions, ending a three-year period marked by espionage allegations and visa disputes. That visit culminated in the signing of multiple bilateral agreements.

Looking ahead, the relationship’s potential pinnacle could be a state visit by King Mohammed VI to France, potentially accompanied by the signing of a landmark treaty to formalize a “special partnership” between the two nations.