عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Macron Not Scheduled to Visit Morocco

French President Emmanuel Macron. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron. (AFP)
TT
20
TT

Macron Not Scheduled to Visit Morocco

French President Emmanuel Macron. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron. (AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Morocco "is neither on the agenda nor scheduled," said an official Moroccan government source.

In an interview with a news channel, France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced that a visit by Macron to Morocco had been scheduled, at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.

The source expressed astonishment that Colonna had taken "this unilateral initiative and allowed herself to make an uncoordinated announcement concerning an important bilateral event."

Relations between Rabat and Paris had reached new lows in recent months in spite of a visit by Colonna to the Moroccan capital in December.

The visit was aimed at overcoming disputes between their countries.

Tensions had erupted two years ago when France decided to reduce the number of visas granted to Moroccans and over Paris’ stance on the contentious Sahara issue and its siding with Algeria.

Relations grew even more strained after France criticized press freedom in Morocco.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Building in Beirut Southern Suburbs Struck After Israeli Warning

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahieh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahieh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
TT
20
TT

Building in Beirut Southern Suburbs Struck After Israeli Warning

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahieh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahieh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

A building in Beirut’s southern suburbs known as Dahieh was struck on Sunday almost an hour after the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to residents of the area.

The Israeli army's spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, earlier said on X that residents should evacuate several buildings in the Hadath neighborhood and move "at least 300 meters away.”

Residents reported hearing gunfire across the area, which they said they believed was intended to warn people to leave, as well as seeing a massive traffic jam on roads leading from the area.

"To everyone located in the building marked in red on the attached map, and the surrounding buildings: you are near facilities belonging to Hezbollah," Adraee wrote in a post that included a map of the potential targets.

The Israeli army said the building was being used to store precision missiles belonging to Hezbollah.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Hezbollah's precision missiles "posed a significant threat to the State of Israel."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the United States and France, as guarantors of the ceasefire agreement struck in November, to compel Israel to stop its attacks.
"Israel's continued actions in undermining stability will exacerbate tensions and place the region at real risk, threatening its security and stability," he said in a statement.

Earlier this month an Israeli airstrike killed four people, including a Hezbollah official, in Beirut's southern suburbs -the second Israeli strike on a Hezbollah-controlled area of the Lebanese capital in five days.