Portugal will assist Ukrainian refugees with 50 million euros

Portugal will support taking in Ukrainian refugees in Poland with up to 50 million euros, Prime Minister António Costa announced at a press conference with his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw, during an official one-day visit to Poland.

"We are fully available to collaborate with the Polish authorities to share the effort of taking in Ukrainian refugees. Many Ukrainians wish to return to Ukraine or remain as close as possible to their country", he said.

António Costa specified that under the humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees, Portugal will offer Poland material support, "whether premanufactured homes, modular homes, food, pharmaceutical products, clothes and shoes".

"The funds we have available for this humanitarian aid via Poland" stand at 50 million euros, he said, adding that "Poland can count on our support in this effort to assist Ukrainian refugees". Portugal had already announced a 2.1 million euro donation for humanitarian aid. 

The Prime Minister also noted that the current food crisis, in part driven by the fact Ukraine cannot export grains, is one of the major challenges.

"We must find a way to support Ukraine with its food exports" yet finding alternatives to clear Ukrainian crops "isn’t easy from a logistics perspective", he said, underlining that "the current situation affects Europe, but most of all it affects African countries".

Energy autonomy

During António Costa’s meeting with Mateusz Morawiecki the two discussed the importance of Europe being United and Europe’s autonomy vis-à-vis strategic products such as fuels, in addition the humanitarian matters.

The Polish Prime Minister underlined the need for EU member states to stop buying gas and oil from Russia and António Costa complimented the effort made by the Polish Government to ensure their strategic autonomy and the energy transition "for a more sustainable world".

The Portuguese Head of Government added that Portugal can contribute to Europe’s energy autonomy, releasing it from the current dependence on Russian gas, by supplying gas and hydrogen.

"Portugal has advocated the urgency in ensuring the energy transition based on renewables for a long time now. We have the conditions to contribute in a long-lasting manner to Europe’s energy autonomy", he claimed, noted the Portuguese potential for importing liquified natural gas (a transition energy) and for producing hydrogen.

Investment in interconnections

Both Prime Ministers consider it feasible that for energy supply to central and Eastern European countries to be done via Sines port and Mateusz Morawiecki noted the logistical capacity of the ports in his countries to receive and unload.

António Costa claimed that the investment in the interconnections between Portugal and Spain and the rest of Europe is essential, not just to supply the natural gas that comes from the Americas or Africa, but also to, in the future, transfer green hydrogen "at low cost, benefitting the from the ease in producing using solar power".

"We require immediate answers" he said, adding that "we discussed with the Polish Government, as well as with other European Governments, the possibility of using Sines port as a transfer platform from large methane tankers to small or medium-sized tankers" with "better conditions to operate in the more congested areas of the North and Baltic Seas", he stated.

United Europe

The Prime Minister claimed that the European Union’s unity is essential, including in the matter of Ukraine joining the EU, and the Polish Head of Government said that his country wishes for a quick process.

António Costa noted the existence of different positions among the member states regarding Ukraine joining the EU, but he highlighted the common points.

"We acknowledge and are pleased with Ukraine choosing the European Union, we all recognise Ukraine as part of the European family and we all know well the EU’s rules. We must find a solution that responds to the priorities of this time for Ukraine: military, economic, and humanitarian support, and an unquestionable commitment to the huge task of reconstruction", he said.

Ukraine joining the EU

The Portuguese Head of Government also said that when he meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he will refer to the importance of defining a special status for a pragmatic and progressive path for the country’s European integration, discussing "Ukraine’s European perspective, taking into account that we can help build a position of unity within the European Union".

"The 27 EU member states have to be open enough to find the special status necessary for Ukraine, we will not hold on to names, rather focus on being pragmatic", he said.

He added that "the best help we can give Ukraine is to not have any divides and to maintain a united response within the EU to Russia’s military aggression. The last thing we should do is find divisions among us".

3.6 million refugees

At the end of his visit, the Prime Minister visited Warsaw National Stadium, where the largest refugee centre is located, which has received over 3.6 million Ukrainian refugees, a number that now "tends to stabilise".

"Our humanitarian assistance is now mostly for Poland, a country that is making a huge effort. Poland is to draft a list of needs and we will try to find the items Poland needs in Portugal, to support with responding to this brutal humanitarian crisis. Poland is currently supporting the construction of a series of temporary houses on Ukrainian soil for those who wish to return", he said.

The Prime Minister said that "we are available to take in more refugees, but we must be aware that our effort is a small drop in the ocean compared to the effort a country like Poland is making. It is our duty to have solidarity, as we have had with Greece, Italy, Malta or Cyprus in the past" during the crises of the refugees from Africa and the Near East.

António Costa noted that "the stabilisation and reconquering of parts of the Ukrainian territory and the war being away from some areas has created the conditions for a large number of Ukrainians to return. Even some who were in Portugal have returned".

However, as there are many areas that have been completely devastated, "the conditions for their reconstruction will have to be met". 

Dinner with entrepreneurs

The visit began on the evening of 19 May with a dinner with some of the main Portuguese investors in Poland, to listen to them on their perspectives and any obstacles, prior to the meeting with his Polish counterpart and the meeting of the delegations, which featured the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Francisco André. Representatives of Jerónimo Martins, Eurocash, Millennium Bank Polska, EDP Renováveis, Simoldes, Mota Engil, and SIBS attended the dinner.

The Prime Minister wrote on his Twitter account that the meeting "was very important to obtain an updated context on Portuguese investment and the outlook on Poland’s business environment".

Given the current context, I reaffirmed our determination in continuing to work together with the Polish authorities to overcome any barriers and support our companies in this challenging market", he added.