Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 0:05
Rabat – The Barid Al-Maghrib Group and CTT Correios de Portugal jointly issued two postage stamps on Monday, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Peace Treaty and the 30th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, of Good Neighborhood and Cooperation concluded between Morocco and Portugal.
The two postage stamps reproduce two artistic works symbolizing the historical ties that unite the two countries.
On the Moroccan side, the first work represents an illustration of the Sqala of the port of Essaouira, an 18th century monument, founded by Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah, signatory of the peace treaty in 1774. This site is known to be an element key to the defensive architecture of the medina of Essaouira, classified as universal heritage by UNESCO since 2001.
The second work, on the Portuguese side, illustrates Commerce Square in Lisbon, an emblematic site once constituting the city’s gateway for maritime trade. It houses the equestrian statue of King Joseph I, also signatory of the Peace Treaty in 1774 with Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah.
During a ceremony organized on this occasion, the Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic to Morocco, Carlos Pereira Marques, indicated that this joint issue of postage stamps, in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Peace Treaty and the 30th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, embodies the depth of historical ties based on friendship and trust that the two countries have cultivated and preserved over the years, adding that “the illustrations appearing on the two stamps were inspired by the depth of relations history between Morocco and Portugal”.
For his part, the Director General of the Barid Al-Maghreb Group, Amin Benjelloun Touimi, highlighted the commitment of the two countries to peace, noting that Morocco and Portugal are linked by deep relations. He added that the launch of the two stamps, which are of great artistic value, aims to preserve the heritage of the past in order to transmit it to future generations.
For his part, the director of European affairs at the Ministry of African Cooperation Affairs and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Redouane Adghoghi, indicated that the celebration of the 250 years of the Peace Treaty testifies to the solidity of the relations uniting the two States, noting that these relations, marked by a constant dynamic, are expected to be further strengthened, particularly with the organization in 2030 of the joint World Cup between Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
This issue of postage stamps, launched and put into circulation on the same day in Morocco and Portugal, aims to enrich the series of joint issues carried out with other countries, including the very latest issued respectively in 2024 with Romania and the Sultanate of Oman, in 2022 with Serbia, in 2021 respectively with the Dominican Republic and Tunisia, and many other joint philatelic achievements, including those issued with Monaco in 2014, Ukraine in 2013, Qatar in 2012 , Belgium and France in 2001 and the very first with the USA in 1987.
