Lisbon, July 22, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal and Morocco affirmed in Lisbon on Tuesday their desire to deepen their excellent bilateral relations at all levels, “which continue to gain new momentum”.
Lisbon and Rabat expressed their desire in a series of statements that the Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel issued after their meeting today in the Portuguese capital, recalling the bilateral relations that the commemoration on 1 January 2024 enshrines of the 250th anniversary of the historic Peace Treaty signed in 1774 and the 30th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation, signed in the Moroccan capital in 1994.
In the joint statement, Bourita and Rangel emphasised the importance of committing to the implementation of the commitments outlined in the strategic partnership between the two countries, and they agreed to convene the 15th session of the high-level meeting at the earliest opportunity.
The ministers welcomed the joint organisation by Morocco, Portugal and Spain of the 2030 World Cup, highlighting the dynamic of shared prosperity and growth, as well as the strengthening of cultural understanding that an event of this magnitude can generate.
According to the statement, Rangel highlighted Morocco’s role as a factor for development and stability in the region and in Africa and welcomed the reforms that the Kingdom has carried out under the guidance of King Mohamed VI, highlighting the Atlantic Initiatives in favour of the African continent, namely the “Initiative of the Atlantic African States Process”, the “Royal International Initiative to facilitate access to the Atlantic Ocean for the countries of the Sahel” and the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic gas pipeline project.
Morocco, for its part, acknowledged the privileged relationship that Portugal enjoys with African countries and their multilateral organisations, and also valued the strategic dimension of the work carried out by Portugal, particularly through the Atlantic Centre, in favour of stability and peace on the African Atlantic coast and in Africa in general.
The two ministers also took the opportunity to highlight the economic potential and the means they will mobilise further to strengthen cooperation in priority areas, such as green hydrogen. They called for continued joint efforts to implement the electricity interconnection project and to ensure connectivity—including maritime connectivity—between the two countries.
Rangel reiterated the importance of the strategic partnership linking Morocco to the European Union (EU) in all areas, including agriculture and fisheries.
The ministers also agreed to continue the dialogue to establish a strategic partnership between Morocco and the EU on solid and sustainable foundations.
In statements to journalists after the meeting, Rangel stressed that the relationship with Morocco is a “priority of Portuguese foreign policy, a priority for historical, geopolitical, economic and cultural reasons”.
“We agreed here that we will give priority to defence, economic, academic and cultural exchange issues, that we will also work in the areas of agriculture and oceans, and that we will ensure that we also have great cooperation on our agenda for Africa,” he said.
“Today’s meeting was an opportunity to draw up an action plan to translate this desire into concrete projects and work, through deeper political dialogue between the two countries’ diplomatic services. We share several common positions on various international issues and questions. Morocco always views Portugal’s considered positions with great respect and consideration,” said Bourita.
According to the head of Moroccan diplomacy, the two heads of diplomacy expressed their intention to promote economic cooperation, enabling Portugal to take its place among Morocco’s eight main strategic partners.
“We want the private sector to be an active player in this area and to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the cooperation relations between the two countries,” he concluded.
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