Eyeing Africa, Portuguese PM pledges to strengthen relationship with France

5 months ago 13

Portugal is ready to commit to strengthening relations with France, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro told French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday, highlighting the European agendas but also the influence they share in Africa.

“Our predisposition is not only to continue but to strengthen our ties, so I come here, dear President, with the intention of continuing the relationship we have but to increase it and to tell you that we have in front of us an area of cooperation that can be deeper and that can serve our peoples,” said Montenegro at the Elysée Palace, where he was received for a working lunch.

“Portugal and France have a very transversal, historic partnership, both from a bilateral point of view” and from the point of view of “commitment to the values and construction of the future of the European Union, as well as from a global point of view in the United Nations” and in geographical areas where they have common interests, “such as Africa”, Montenegro told Macron.

“We are very focussed and supportive of the main agendas we have before us today in the European Union, such as support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion, monitoring the situation in the Gaza Strip and the whole process of Europe’s economic recovery,” he added.

For Montenegro, this process includes “the development of the single market, the development of the competitiveness of our companies, the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises in particular and issues as relevant as the management of migratory flows”.

The Portuguese head of government also congratulated France for hosting the Olympic Games in Paris and said he would like to come and see France’s “organisational capacity” of France “in action”, and also to “accompany the Portuguese athletes”.

Montenegro highlighted the way in which the Portuguese community has been and continues to be welcomed in France and thanked the French President for his message on the 50th anniversary of the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Before his lunch with Macron, Montenegro visited the “Strates Urbaines” mural by Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto (Vhils) at the Gare de Orly, where he spoke to journalists about former Prime Minister António Costa’s candidacy for the Presidency of the European Council.

The prime minister highlighted the qualities that justified the Portuguese government’s support for the socialist: “It’s because he’s Portuguese, it’s because he’s pro-European, it’s because he carries the values of respect for peace, democracy, political and economic solidarity between the states of the European Union,” he told journalists in remarks broadcast by Portuguese state broadcaster RTP.

Speaking about former Portuguese prime minister António Costa whom Portugal wants to put forward as European Council President, Montenegro said he has “the ability to build the bridges that are necessary between member states and even between some different party-political sensitivities”.

“I don’t see any other Socialist in the Socialist family, nor do I trust any other Socialist in Europe, to fulfil this role,” he added.

Montenegro also said he hoped that his nomination would be finalised by next week.

For his part, Macron said that the meeting with Montenegro was to prepare for “the next deadlines” next week and to define Europe’s “strategic agenda” and security, military, technological and economic, “of a sovereign Europe, a Europe of decarbonisation, a Europe that protects its borders and helps its allies”.

“There is a deep convergence between us, between the two countries, and a desire to do things together,” he said, referring to “values that also make up the European model”, and pointing out that on “international issues, Ukraine, the Middle East, Africa”, co-operation “also demonstrates the closeness of interests and values” between the two countries.

“I want to tell you how much the ties that unite us are human ties, of mutual fascination and friendship, but also very important ties for our Europe. We share the same values and the same determination,” Macron added.

(Ana Clotilde correia, edited by Cristina Cardoso | Lusa.pt)