In a conversation with the President, João Lourenço, by videoconference, broadcast this Friday at the fourth edition of the Euro-Africa Forum, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa praised "the excellent relations between States", which in his opinion "have only improved over the last few years years old".
"We have the same understanding about the urgency of overcoming the pandemic and we have the same understanding about the urgency of economic and social recovery. Angola is facing this, accelerating. Portugal also expects appreciable growth this year, turning a page and pointing to years close ones, which are a unique opportunity to take qualitative leaps. If we can take qualitative leaps together, this is formidable," he declared.
At the international level, the Portuguese President highlighted the "leading role" of Angola on the African continent and on the part of Portugal "the relationship with European countries" that also have relations with Angola – which currently presides over the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP).
"Therefore, we have a total puzzle in which we form a very strong axis, Angola and Portugal, even in CPLP, with a lot of importance in CPLP, but outside CPLP. And this axis has other joint axes, all helped by personal relationships, and especially because of what brings our peoples together, who understand each other very well, get along very well: the Portuguese who live in Angola and the Angolans who live in Portugal", he considered.
As Angola is exercising the rotating presidency of the CPLP, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa referred to João Lourenço as "the President of all CPLP citizens", adding: "It is a pleasure to have my President João Lourenço in this conversation".
In bilateral terms, according to the Portuguese head of State, there is an "exceptional relationship, in all areas", with "exceptional at all levels" personal relationships, for which he attributed "fundamental merit" to his Angolan counterpart.
João Lourenço then declared: "Condemned to live eternally embraced, nothing can shake the relations that we always want to be good between our two countries. Portugal can count on Angola at all times, in all situations, in the same way as Angola also counts on Portugal at all times and in all situations".
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa highlighted the recent "ministerial summit between Portugal and Angola", which in his opinion took place "in an exceptional climate" and "showed the good moment" of bilateral relations.
The Euro-Africa Forum is organized by the Portuguese Diaspora Council, a non-profit association established in December 2012, with the high sponsorship of the former President of the Republic, Cavaco Silva, aimed at institutionalizing a network of contacts between Portuguese and Portuguese descendants residing abroad , with prominent positions.
This association has as honorary president the President of the Republic and as honorary vice president the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva. Former Portuguese Prime Minister Durão Barroso presides over the Board of the Diaspora Council.
