Rabat – Morocco and Portugal have agreed to “elevate” their bilateral ties to reach “a comprehensive strategic partnership,” according to a joint statement released for the opening of the 14th High Level Meeting between Morocco and Portugal held in Lisbon.
The statement mentions that the two countries affirmed their desire to deepen and diversify their partnership, adding that they agreed to establish a partnership council headed by both countries’ foreign ministers.
The council would serve as a framework for dialogue and consultation on bilateral, regional, and international issues, according to the statement.
The High-Level meeting was presided by Morocco’s Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa in Lisbon.
The meeting was attended by various high-ranking officials as well as ministers from both countries, as they discussed cooperation in various fields.
The meeting also saw the holding of the Portuguese-Moroccan Economic Forum, which saw various high-ranking financial officials and investors from both countries participate under the theme “Morocco and Portugal: Together to Build Prospering Economies and Mutual Development.”
Morocco and Portugal signed 12 cooperation agreements in various fields during the meeting.
The agreements included vital sectors such as tourism, trade, and investment, as well as domains like research and development, traditional craftsmanship, and social equality.
Costa has recently reaffirmed the importance of cooperation with Morocco for Portugal, maintaining that both countries share a common objective: maintaining stability and peace in the Mediterranean region.
“It is a relationship with a rich past, but above all a very promising future, based on the friendship between our two governments and our two peoples and on the existence of common projects for the future of the two countries,” the Portuguese politician said on Thursday.
Notably, Morocco recently joined Spain and Portugal’s bid to host the 2030 World Cup, a move which has received praise from various officials in all three countries.
