Morocco, Portugal Agree to Set up Maritime Hub

Morocco and Portugal signed on Thursday a Memorandum of Understanding to set up a maritime hub with advanced infrastructure and services to boost the two countries competitiveness.

The agreement was signed in Lisbon by Morocco’s Equipment, Transport and Logistics Minister Aziz Rabbah and Portugal’s sea Minister Ana Paula Vitorina.

Following the example of the successful bilateral energy cooperation, Morocco and Portugal are set to foster their maritime infrastructure through joining forces amid fierce competition with northern European countries.

“We have to stop thinking about Moroccan ports as our rivals and vice-versa, and starting thinking in a more comprehensive way,” Vitorina told Lusa news agency after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Moroccan government.

The partnership will see Portugal and Morocco collaborating in fields ranging from training to using the same technical procedures, regulations and safety measures

Months earlier, Morocco and Portugal launched feasibility studies to carry out an intercontinental undersea power link.