Rabat – France’s ambassador to Morocco, Christophe Lecourtier, will travel to Laayoune tomorrow to attend the official inauguration of the new campus of the Lycée Français International Paul Pascon.
The French school is within the Mlf Morocco network, formerly OSUI. Opened in 2012, it is the only French education network institution in the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region.
The French embassy’s statement shared with Morocco World News said the visit is part of France’s commitment to education and Moroccan youth.
The statement also reflected on French-Moroccan cooperation in the field of education.
The new facilities will “significantly increase the school’s capacity to accommodate up to 600 students from kindergarten through to the final year of high school.”
During his visit to the region, Lecourtier will hold meetings with the regional Wali and the president of the Municipal Council, among others.
The visit will also serve as a reaffirmation to France’s “ongoing support for promoting economic and social development” in Morocco’s southern regions, through the actions of the French Development Agency.
“The upcoming opening of an Alliance Française in Laayoune will further strengthen this framework by promoting the French language and enhancing cultural exchanges between France and Morocco,” the statement concluded.
Lecourtier made a series of visits to Laayoune following his country’s decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
France announced its new position in 2024, declaring the Autonomy Plan as the only feasible political framework to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
During his previous visit to Laayoune in November 2024, Lecouriter described the region as a “new horizon for France’s strategic actions.”
“Our goal is to implement these emerging projects as quickly as possible,” Lecourtier said, indicating France’s readiness to capitalize on economic opportunities in the region, which he described as rich with potential.
Through AFD, France said it was planning to make major investments of €150 million in Morocco’s southern provinces
