Relations with North Africa: a new priority in Portuguese bilateral foreign policy?

Portugal has remained quite distant from coastal North African states for many centuries. Having recently emerged as a prominent player across North Africa, Portugal’s current relationship with the Maghreb countries is unprecedented in its history. Lisbon has invested in building the Maghreb axis as a ‘new priority’ in the architecture of Portugal’s bilateral foreign policy. This policy already took off, and is now beyond the rhetorical plan, where it stood for many years. Portugal and its partner countries across the Mediterranean have reiterated their willingness to keep up with the positive momentum, especially from the past 10 years, deepening bilateral political dialogue and bolstering trade relations. This article puts Portuguese relations with North Africa into context and offers an up-to-date analysis on recent (and ongoing) developments in Luso‒Maghreb relations. ; I am grateful to the EEG for providing financial support to this study; and for the interview at the Ministry of Defence (DGPDN), with Henrique Reinaldo Castanheira, on 17 February 2014; plus two interviews conducted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: one with a senior diplomat who does not wish to be identified; another with Paula Menezes Cordeiro of the Department for Middle East and North Africa.