Global Post
Xinhua News Agency
Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho has announced the creation of an “Observatory for Investment” between Portugal and Morocco aimed at deepening the two countries commercial and economic relations.
The announcement followed the 12th Portuguese-Moroccan summit at the Palacio das Necessidades here, which Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane attended.
During the press conference, Passos Coelho highlighted that commercial exchanges between Portugal and Morocco had risen and said Portugal’s exports to Morocco could reach around 1 billion euros (about 1.08 billion U.S. dollars).
The Portuguese prime minister highlighted that Morocco was Portugal’s second biggest destination for Portuguese exports in Africa, after Angola.
Both prime ministers signed several agreements on Monday after the summit meeting, including an internal security agreement, a tourism agreement, and an agreement for the creation of the Observatory of Investment.
Benkirane also said it was important for Portuguese people to learn Arabic and for Moroccans to learn Portuguese in order to deepen both countries’ bilateral relations.
Also during the press conference, Passos Coelho said he lamented the death of hundreds of African migrants over the weekend and said he hoped new measures would be taken at the upcoming Extraordinary European Council meeting, taking place this Thursday, to avoid such tragedies in the Mediterranean.
At least 700 migrants drowned this weekend in the waters off Libya.
