The Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, claimed that "Portugal should be proud of the exemplary manner in which our soldiers fulfilled their duties in Afghanistan, which included operational and combat missions in one of the most demanding and dangerous operational theatres in the whole world".

António Costa was giving a speech at the reception of the National Banner of the National Force deployed in Afghanistan under the NATO Resolute Support Mission, which took place in the Santa Margarida Military Camp, in Constância, which he attended with the National Defence Minister.

The Prime Minister also noted the last mission of the Portuguese soldiers in Kabul airport (mission Solace) at the end of August, which was the extraction of Afghan citizens from Kabul after the Taliban seized power:

"These soldiers had the difficult task of identifying, coordinating and guiding the extraction of Afghan citizens who collaborated with the Portuguese Forces throughout these two decades. Once again, the Portuguese people were proud of the way in which this mission was fulfilled by their soldiers, in an exemplary way", he noted.

During his speech, the Prime Minister recalled the two Portuguese soldiers who lost their life in that theatre during the 20 years of the mission:

"First Sergeant of the Infantry Commando, João Roma Pereira, in 2005, and Paratrooper Sérgio Pedrosa, in 2007 honoured the most noble Armed Forces traditions with their sacrifice. To keep the memory of these two soldiers alive, all the Portuguese must make sure that this sacrifice for our country was not in vain", he claimed.

30 years of international missions

During his speech, the Prime Minister also recalled the 30 years of international missions in which 40 thousand soldiers took part, whether at the service of the United Nations, NATO, the EU or other bilateral and multilateral coalitions and partnerships:

"These were 30 years that tested the exceptional qualities of Portuguese soldiers and revealed an outstanding spirit of mission and unwavering protection of national values and interests by our Armed Forces, wherever and however these need to be protected", he said.

For António Costa, "participation in such varied international missions, and in such demanding situations, has been a fundamental contribution to the modernization of the Armed Forces, for Portugal’s prestige in the world", stating their importance "as an instrument of fundamentally unique value for our foreign policy and affirming our place in the world".