Lisbon - President Borut Pahor will start a two-day official visit to Portugal on Monday to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The aim is to strengthen bilateral relations and the countries' Euro-Atlantic alliance.

Pahor is scheduled to hold talks with President Marcel Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Antonia Costa and Speaker Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues.

The president's office said the talks would focus on deepening political, economic, academic and other relations. International topics such as cooperation within the EU, transatlantic relations, Western Balkans, migrations and climate change will be broached as well.

Pahor will also receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Lisbon and a bench of Portuguese-Slovenian friendship will be inaugurated in Lisbon.

A project conceived by Pahor in Slovenia, such benches are typically installed when he receives foreign statesmen. A bench of Slovenian-Portuguese friendship was installed in Kranj in June, when Pahor hosted de Sousa.