فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Laayoune, Morocco – In a move reflecting France’s renewed commitment to supporting the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty, the French Ambassador to Morocco, Christophe Lecourtier, today, Tuesday morning, inaugurated the “TLS Contact” center in Laayoune. This opening carries political and symbolic dimensions beyond mere service provision, affirming the solidifying French consular presence in the Southern Provinces.
In a statement on the occasion, the French Ambassador expressed “great joy accompanied by much emotion,” asserting that this project embodies a promise that Paris had made months ago. The new center enables residents of the Southern Provinces to submit their visa applications under conditions similar to those available at French consulates in Casablanca and Rabat. Lecourtier stated: “Any resident in Laayoune or other southern regions can now submit a visa application, of any type, with the same ease and professionalism.”
The new center, which will operate under the supervision of the Consulate General of France in Casablanca, serves as the first gateway to France. It is equipped with advanced technical facilities for biometric data collection and ensures the return of passports with visas within a maximum period of two weeks for eligible applications.
The French Ambassador, who was accompanied by the Wali of the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region, Mr. Abdeslam Bekrate, praised the infrastructure provided by the local authorities. He considered that “the opening of this center puts an end to the suffering of visa applicants who previously had to travel to Agadir and bear additional burdens.” He added that this step “carries a strong symbolic dimension reflecting the principle of equality between the regions of the Kingdom, and highlights the status of the Southern Provinces in France’s relations with Morocco.”
In the same context, the French diplomat revealed other projects currently underway in the Southern Provinces, including a new French school in Laayoune that will enable students to take their baccalaureate exams locally, a French cultural center under construction, and a new space for a French alliance to be opened soon.
The Ambassador also referred to a recent visit by the Director General of the French Development Agency to Laayoune and Dakhla, which resulted in the announcement of structural development projects. He affirmed that this new dynamism translates France’s actual commitment to the development of the Southern Provinces, not only through diplomacy but also through education, culture, and economic cooperation.
In concluding his statement, the French Ambassador stressed that “the high political commitments” that followed Paris’s declaration of support for the Moroccan autonomy proposal in the Sahara “have today become a tangible reality from which citizens directly benefit in the areas of visas, education, development, and culture.” He affirmed that this initiative comes within the framework of a long-term strategic partnership between Morocco and France.
