Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will visit Morocco from June 7 to 10 to meet with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. The ministers will discuss bilateral and regional issues within the framework of our high-level dialogue with Morocco, which is a strategic partner, notably in Africa.

In the run-up to the high-level France-Morocco meeting scheduled to take place in fall 2019, this visit will provide an opportunity to take stock of the many areas of our special partnership with Morocco in order to continue to develop trade, strengthen educational and cultural cooperation, strengthen the fight against terrorism and better manage migration flows.

During this visit and within the framework of our excellent cooperation with Morocco in the area of education, the minister will visit, in Fez, the Jean-de-La-Fontaine school complex and the NGO Shems'y school, supported by the Embassy of France in Morocco.

The minister will take part in an economic meeting at the Euromed University focusing on technological cooperation challenges and will receive the French community. France is the largest foreign investor in Morocco with 900 subsidiaries of French companies in Morocco, its second largest supplier (€4.3 billion in exports in 2016) and its second largest client (€4.2 billion in imports in 2016).

International trade / G20 – Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne's participation in the meeting of G20 trade ministers (Tsukuba, Japan - June 8-9, 2019)

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister of State for European Affairs, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will take part in the meeting of G20 trade ministers in Tsukuba, Japan, from June 8 to 9.

The minister of state will reaffirm France's commitment to a rules-based, fair and equitable multilateral trade system, with the WTO as guarantor.

In accordance with the commitment made by the G20 leaders in December in Buenos Aires, the goal will be to make concrete progress on the reform of the WTO in its three dimensions (drawing up of rules, monitoring of their implementation and dispute settlement). Increasing trade tensions require, more than ever, collaborative responses in order to address their root causes.

Furthermore, on the initiative of the Japanese presidency of the G20, there will be a joint session of the trade ministers and the ministers responsible for digital affairs. The minister of state will reaffirm the importance of adapting global trade rules to the challenges posed by the digital revolution and the data economy in order to strike a fair balance between innovation and the protection of citizens, notably with respect to their personal data.

Foreign trade / Climate – Seminar at the Quai d'Orsay on companies working in the field of renewable energies (Paris - June 11, 2019)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian will conclude the seminar "Quai d'Orsay Enterprises: French expertise in renewable energies," at the Quai d'Orsay on Tuesday, June 11. The seminar will be opened by Brune Poirson, Minister of State attached to the Ministre d'Etat, Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition.

More than 70 companies will present their innovative technologies in the field of renewables to nearly 100 foreign embassies in Paris.

The French companies are well placed in the competitive renewables sector, in which investments rose to $332 billion in 2018 and for which the global market is expected to expand more than 40% by 2021, according to figures from the International Energy Agency. They are well known for their expertise, especially in marine energy, floating wind turbines, energy access, and hydrogen storage, and are able to provide responses suited to the most specific geographical situations.

In keeping with his responsibilities on economic diplomacy, the minister for Europe and foreign affairs is working on a daily basis to promote this industry and to support the exports of French companies. Following President Macron's announcements in Nairobi on March 14 and ahead of the UN secretary-general's climate summit to be held in New York on September 23, the minister is also encouraging the private sector to increase its role in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.