The Ministry of Defence (MDN) is headed by the Minister, José
Pedro Aguiar-Branco, whose team includes the Secretary of State
Attached to the Minister and of Defence, Berta Cabral.
The Ministry of Defence prepares and implements the National
Defence policy and supervises, inspects and administers the Armed
Forces.
The Government's immediate priorities for Defence are to:
- Reorganise and rationalise both the Ministry and the command
structure of the Armed Forces, emphasising coordination and the
profitable use of synergies.
- Rationalise military spending, by ensuring articulation between
the different branches and a more efficient use of resources,
particularly in the form of the implementation of the reform of the
military health system.
- Strengthen the coordination with the various bodies belonging
to the Ministry of the Interior in the areas where there is
complementarity and it is possible to achieve scale economies.
- Undertake the revision of the Military Programming Law,
adapting it to the country's present economic and financial
situation.
- Deepen our participation in international missions.