The Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities, Paulo Cafôfo, announced this Sunday that a general consulate of Portugal will be opened in Andorra la Vella, but there is still no set date.

“The Portuguese government is preparing to open a general consulate in this city. I know that it was desired, that it was coveted, but, above all, that it was deserved by our community that lives here”, said the minister, in his speech to the Portuguese residents in Andorra, on the occasion of the Portugal Day celebrations, of Camões and the Portuguese Communities.

Later, questioned by Lusa, Paulo Cafôfo clarified that there is still no date set for the opening of this diplomatic representation in the principality’s capital.

Some Portuguese with whom Lusa spoke during the day mentioned that the closure of the embassy in 2012 made it difficult to access services such as, for example, the renewal of the citizen card, forcing citizens to travel to Barcelona to do so.

Andorra is 197 kilometers from Barcelona.

In his speech, flanked by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Secretary of State stated that “this will be an opportunity to” better serve our fellow citizens residing in Andorra, but also to “better affirm our presence in the economic field”. and cultural fields.

The President of the Republic commented minutes later on the announcement and told journalists that the intention is “to create more political weight, more administrative weight and greater capacity for intervention” with a community “that is growing” in the principality.

“You can’t ignore that. In a growing community, there has to be a stronger response,” she added.

Portugal supports Andorra in a bilateral treaty with the European Union

The President of the Republic also guaranteed that he will support Andorra in the signing of a bilateral treaty with the European Union, considering that the 27th wins by “integrating more” into the principality.

Asked by an Andorran journalist about the signing of a bilateral treaty between the principality and the European Union and if the Portuguese State intends to support this claim by Andorra, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa replied “of course”.

It is essential for the European Union (EU) [a assinatura desse tratado]it is essential for Portugal, it is essential for Andorra and it is essential for bilateral relations between Portugal and Andorra”, added the Portuguese head of state, on the sidelines of a meeting with Portuguese residents in the principality, on the occasion of the Portugal Day celebrations , of Camões and of the Portuguese Communities.

Andorra, which is home to more than 9,000 Portuguese —the third largest community that represents more than 10% of the total population— “wins by being more connected with the EU, and the European Union wins by integrating more, bringing Andorra closer, which which is European and plays a very important role”, added the Head of State.

A few hours after returning from London for a ‘lightning’ visit to the principality, the third since he took office more than six years ago, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was also asked about the meeting between the Prime Minister, António Costa, and his British counterpart, Boris. Johnson next Monday.

The Portuguese head of state said that Costa’s visit to London aims to promote the “privileged relationship” that Portugal has with the United Kingdom, rejecting possible contradictions with the post-Brexit agreements.

Quite simply, in those areas where there is no contradiction, there are things that we can do with bilateral collaboration, which we do incidentally with other countries in the world, even more so with a country that has a very strong British community in the north, a very strong British community strong in the south, in Madeira, and that is growing in terms of investment in Portugal”, he argued, considering that Portugal wins with the strengthening of these already secular relations.

The Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Portugal are preparing to close this Monday in London a global political agreement to regulate the Portuguese-British bilateral relations after the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

“A final agreement between the two countries is being prepared, with a particular focus on the areas of Defense, foreign policy, science, Higher Education and climate change, in particular the oceans,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs, told Lusa on Sunday, João Gomes Cravinho, at the end of a visit to the Royal Brompton Hospital, in London, in which he accompanied the President of the Republic.