The Head of State highlighted the importance of his meeting with the South African President, who accepted his invitation to visit Portugal in March next year.
The President of the Republic considered this Wednesday that his visit to South Africa marked the “opening of a new stage” in bilateral relations, after “a certain distance or ignorance”.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was speaking at a meeting with Portuguese emigrants at the Association of the Portuguese Community of Pretoria, the last point of the Portugal Day celebrations in South Africa, which began on Monday in Cape Town, and also passed through Johannesburg.
The Head of State highlighted the importance of his meeting with the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, who accepted his invitation to visit Portugal next yearon a state visit on Tuesday, in the midst of the June 10 commemoration program.
“President Ramaphosa will travel to Portugal in March. And this visit was important, because there was a certain distance or ignorance between the two countries”, he said, questioning “how was that possible, with a Portuguese community as large as the one that exists in South Africa”.
“It was the opening of a new stage,” he considered.
According to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in addition to defense, a matter on which a bilateral agreement was signed on Tuesday, “there is so much that can be advanced, in the economy, finances, investment, tourism, education, science and in the technology”. . “And suddenly it became clear to South Africa what to us is evidence: what we can have together in collaboration, both together, bilaterally”added.
The President of the Republic defended that this work must “be prepared now, so that in March, when President Ramaphosa goes to Portugal, this work is underway and the collaboration between the two countries can go further.”
The head of state ended his speech by declaring to the Portuguese and Portuguese descendants: “There will be a future in this land, and there will be future relations between the two countries, and the role of South Africa will be a priority for Portugal, as is the role of Angola . or from Mozambique.
“But also for South Africa it will be more evident how Portugal is a priority in Europe. You can have a relationship with us, in which the Portuguese community has a role to play, which is easier than with other countries with which it has fewer affinities, no matter how friendly our European partners are,” he argued, noting: ” It is evident realism”.
Source: Observadora
