Bethesda, Maryland, USA, 06/29/2016 /SubmitPressRelease123/
Portuguese President, Nuno Duarte Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa started on Monday, June 27, 2016, an official visit to Morocco at the invitation of HM King Mohammed VI. On this occasion, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI decorated the Portuguese Head of State with Wissam Al Mohammadi of exceptional class, the highest honor of the Kingdom. For his part, President de Sousa decorated the King with the Grand Collar of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword (Portuguese: Grande-Colar da Ordem Militar de Sant’Iago da Espada), the highest honorary decoration awarded by the Portuguese President to foreign heads of State.
Before this ceremony, King Mohammed VI chaired, at the Mechouar Square in the Royal Palace in Casablanca, the official welcome ceremony of the Portuguese President. The President was saluted afterward, by the head of government, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the speaker of the house of advisors, HM the King’s advisors and cabinet members.
The President was also welcomed notably by the dean of diplomatic corps accredited in Rabat, heads of European diplomatic missions accredited in Rabat, high-ranking officers from the general staff of the Royal Armed Forces, head of Moroccan intelligence agency DGED, and director general of national police and national territory surveillance. For his side, King Mohammed VI was saluted by the official delegation accompanying the Portuguese President. This delegation was composed mainly of Teresa Ribeiro, state secretary for foreign affairs, Maria Rita Ferro, Portugal’s ambassador in Rabat, Ambassador Antonio Almeida Lima, Chief of State Protocol, ambassador Francisco Duarte Lopes, Director general of foreign policy and Ambassador José Augusto Duarte, diplomatic advisor. This visit reflects the high quality of bilateral relations based on a strong and deep-rooted partnership thanks to the common will to consolidate the multifaceted ties between the two countries.
In recent years, bilateral relations have developed positively in favor of Portugal, according to the latest report of the Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade of Portugal (AICEP). The amount of exports rose in 2013 to 767,400,000 euros (58.7% compared to the year before), while the Portuguese imports of Moroccan products amounted during the year, to 175 million euros. Outside the European Union, Morocco is now the fourth partner of Portugal after Angola, the US and Brazil. 1,200 Portuguese businesses are present in the Moroccan market and have a chamber of trade and a legal framework to govern their economic activities.
The recovery of the Portuguese economy after a period of recession coupled with the growth prospects of the Moroccan economy are all factors that open promising prospects for beefing up economic ties between the two countries.
http://www.mapnews.ma/en/activites-royales/hm-king-hosts-official-iftar-honor-portuguese-president
http://www.mapnews.ma/en/activites-royales/hm-king-portuguese-president-hold-tete-tete-talks
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