Lagos wants to conclude a twinning agreement with the Municipality of Ksar El Kebir, that is, the mythical Alcácer Quibir, in Morocco, due to the «common past of enormous relevance for both».
The City Council decided, at its last public meeting in January, to propose to the Municipal Assembly of Lagos the signing of this agreement.
The twinning agreement has as its main objective the development of permanent links between both Municipalities, «leading to the deepening of knowledge of local cultural identities, in terms of traditions, customs, historical memory and heritage, to the exchange of cultural, heritage activities and events and artistic and joint participation in projects of common interest», says the Câmara de Lagos.
This decision was taken considering several factors, namely, the fact that Lagos was the seat of the Discoveries and the Portuguese Expansion in Africa, started in Morocco, and where the troops commanded by King D. Sebastião for the Battle of Alcácer Quibir departed or from Oued El Makhazen, locked in the outskirts of that Moroccan city.
There is also the fact that Ksar El Kebir was one of the main cities of the Moroccan resistance to the Portuguese strongholds in Morocco, from where the army that faced the Portuguese army in the Battle of Alcácer Quibir and that would have received the body of D. Sebastian after his death.
In short, Lagos and Ksar El Kebir share a common past, based on the figure of King Sebastião and the events of the Battle of Alcácer Quibir or Oued El Makhazen, whose "dark memory is intended to be transformed into a future relationship of cooperation".
"In this sense, the two Municipalities share the will to deepen ties of friendship, cooperation and solidarity and make their respective territories notorious, through the promotion of experiences that contribute to the well-being and quality of life of the populations." says the Council of Lagos.
«There is also an understanding of Culture and Tourism, in both Municipalities, as important factors for development, competitiveness and differentiation, and the fact that they have a perception of the strategic importance of historical and cultural heritage in promoting an integrated and sustainable development ».
This twinning agreement has the institutional support of the Portuguese Embassy in Morocco and the particular enthusiasm of ambassador Maria Rita Ferro.
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