The CPLP "prides itself on respecting the rights and duties of each member state, including the presidency of the Organization, based on the principle of rotation, until all have benefited from this same right," said Lourenço.
The statement came Friday night, in a speech delivered at a dinner hosted by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in honor of his counterpart, who was on an official visit to Portugal.
Hours earlier, the two countries signed 11 cooperation protocols in areas ranging from language teaching to cooperation in security and civil protection and between transportation companies.
João Lourenço argued that the promotion of the Portuguese language "requires greater coordination of efforts" so that it is "officially accepted as a working tool in the United Nations and other important international organizations."
The Conference of Heads of State and Government of the CPLP ended on July 18th without a decision on who will succeed Guinea-Bissau as president, with member states divided into two blocs, sources within the organization told Lusa.
According to the same sources, during the discussion, which took place behind closed doors, Equatorial Guinea claimed the CPLP presidency, stating that it was its turn. On the other side, Brazil declared itself a candidate.
The Portuguese-Speaking African Countries (PALOP) supported Equatorial Guinea's claim, while Lisbon, Brasília, and Dili remained united in the idea of handing Brazil the post-Guinea-Bissau presidency.
The decision was postponed until a future CPLP meeting, sources within the organization told Lusa.
The 15th Conference of Heads of State and Government of the CPLP was marked by the absence of the Portuguese President and Prime Minister. In other words, for the first time, Portugal was not represented at the highest level. Representation was handled by the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel.
The President of the Portuguese Republic reportedly decided to decline to participate in the conference due to this point—the only one not to be discussed—given the possibility of the presidency being awarded to Equatorial Guinea, which has been accused of systematic human rights violations, reported Expresso.
Although the statutes do not define the rotation of the presidency as alphabetical, this has been a common practice among member states, with some exceptions.
The CPLP comprises Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor.
