Protuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (R) meets with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in Lisbon May 11, 2018. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic began a two-day state visit to Portugal on Friday. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)
LISBON, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic began a two-day state visit to Portugal on Friday by signing an agreement of cooperation between the two countries.
Protuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced the accord to journalists after welcoming his Croatian counterpart to the presidential palace in Lisbon.
"We have just signed a cooperation program between the government of the Republic of Portugal and the government of the Republic of Croatia covering the fields of language, education, science, culture, sport and young people for the 2018 to 2020 period," said Rebelo de Sousa.
He added that relations between the two countries were excellent and that the new agreement is a "bridge for closer cooperation and friendship between the two peoples and countries."
On Friday morning, Grabar-Kitarovic was welcomed with military honors outside the Jeronimos Monestary. She then laid a wreath at the tomb of the Portuguese poet Luis Vaz de Camoes.
Later on Friday, Grabar-Kitarovic will meet the Portuguese Prime Minister, Antonio Costa, and be the guest of honor at a dinner held at Ajuda Palace.
She will meet members of the Portugal-Croatia business community in Lisbon on Saturday, before travelling to Fatima, a pilgrimage town 125 km north of the capital
This is the first ever visit by a Croatian head of state to Portugal. It follows Rebelo de Sousa's visit to Croatia in May 2017.
