Portugal and Morocco raise their cooperation to a "strategic partnership level"

The Governments of Portugal and Morocco singed 12 bilateral agreements at the end of the 14th High-Level Meeting between both countries. The documents include fields such as civil protection, women’s rights, and non-discrimination.

The 12 bilateral legal instruments were signed during a ceremony presided over by the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, and of Morocco, Aziz Akhannouch, in Palácio Foz, Lisbon.

In his speech after signing the agreements, the Portuguese Prime Minister noted the fact that high-level meetings between the two countries were resumed after a 6-year-interruption. He stressed that "Portugal and Morocco are not merely neighbouring countries", yet also "the interface" "between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic" and "between Africa and Europe".

"And this is why at this summit we decided to upgrade our relationship to a strategic partnership in order to have wider cooperation not just from the perspective of relations between our peoples, between our companies, but also on a political level, between both Governments", he noted.

According to the Portuguese Prime Minister, this will be the best way "to look at the future with a wide horizon" where 250 years past "of peace are a guarantee of safety and trust among all".

António Costa also used the occasion to publicly thank the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco for "his continued support" and "permanent solidarity maintained with Portugal in the field of civil protection" by supplying Canadair aircraft during the summer months.

Friendship and cooperation

The Moroccan Prime Minister in turn stated that this meeting reflected the deep friendship and cooperation that exists between both countries, adding that "Morocco and Portugal have a brotherly relationship and always with the support of both countries’ leadership".

During his speech, Aziz Akhannouch also noted the joint proposal of Spain, Morocco, and Portugal to host the World Cup in 2030.

The Moroccan Prime Minister also said that this strategic partnership between the two countries, now agreed on, "will be the ideal framework for the political cooperation/dialogue", which shall now continue between both countries’ Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

"We express our willingness to continue our strategic cooperation with Portugal and take this to a high level through a new generation of bilateral agreements", he added.

Agreements

The first agreement, signed today, concerns cooperation in civil protection with a view to mutual assistance in the event of a disaster.

Among the other areas agreed on are a memorandum of understanding for youth, women, and the fight against non-discrimination which was signed by the Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and for Parliamentary Affairs Ana Catarina Mendes on behalf of Portugal.

Portugal and Morocco also concluded memoranda of understanding for legal cooperation in training and the administration of justice, for the development and assistance of populations in rural areas, and on social insertion, social security, and labour.

Still in the social realm, memoranda of understanding in social economy, focusing especially on handicrafts, research, and sustainable development also came out of this meeting.

The Lisbon and Rabat executive branches likewise decided to set up a programme to have a previous cultural and scientific agreement signed between both countries be put in force by 2025.

At the summit, agreements were also reached on cooperation in tourism and ports.

For the Portuguese Government, the following attended the 14th High-Level meeting between Portugal and Morocco: the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, of Economy, António Costa Silva, of Environment, Duarte Cordeiro, of Science and Technology, Elvira Fortunato, in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and for Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes, of Labour and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, and of Infrastructure, João Galamba.