Prime Minister notes the international acknowledgement of Portugal’s value

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro stressed the acknowledgement of Portugal’s value in politics and Portuguese diplomacy in international organisations and bilateral relations with many states in a joint statement with the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres at the end of a meeting in Lisbon. 

Luís Montenegro noted "some Portuguese protagonists who stood out" in international postings, indicating namely the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, the President of the European Commission for 10 years, Durão Barroso, the future President of the Council of the European Union António Costa, and the European Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque, who holds special responsibilities.

"All of these postings in international organisations render Portugal highly relevant credit, expressed in our approach to scenarios where we need moderation and to get conflicting countries or forces to engage in dialogue", he said.

The Prime Minister reiterated "the Government’s commitment to contributing towards António Guterres’s term in office as Secretary-General of the United Nations being as it has been thus far, with a large focus on multilateralism and the United Nation’s capacity to contribute to peace and safeguarding human rights throughout the world".

In the current difficult circumstances "where there are wars going on, some of which with encouraging news, such as the cease-fire yesterday in Lebanon", yet also "the war in the Middle East, the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the tension pockets in Africa", "the responsibility on every nation and the organisation that brings them together to proactively endeavour to bring these conflicts to peace and to ensure respect for the UN Charter, international law, and humanitarian law".

Luís Montenegro stated that "all of Portugal’s support to the Secretary-General’s agenda includes the Pact for the Future, a major achievement of the Assembly General of the United Nations and the Secretary-General’s leadership", "essential to pursue the sustainability goals and a global financial architecture that is capable of offering funding mechanisms to developing countries."

It is also essential to "pave the way for the UN’s institutional reform, which I noted at the Assembly General and shared again today. The way the Security Council operates is a problem" with "impediments to decisive capabilities and the implementation of decisions" 

"The Portuguese Government’s is to sustain that the use of veto could be more restricted and not a blockage, so that the Security Council is more agile in deciding, and implementing decisions, as well as the openness to countries such as Brazil and India, and African countries, sitting on the Security council", he said. 

The Prime Minister also stated that "Portugal will continue to foster its universalist traits and taking part in peace-keeping missions with full commitment, it will be on the front line to build bridges between nations and blocs, as well as in the forces deployed on the ground to ensure peace, as we do today on several sites, specifically the Central African Republic, with wide recognition".

And "we will continue to be on Ukraine’s side in defending its territorial integrity and in the fight against Russia’s unjustified and illegal aggression, along with those who are affected by the lack of humanitarian aid in the Middle East, no matter what side they are on".

Portugal is also "particularly concerned with the situation in Mozambique; it will commit to guarantee containment and dialogue, the non-rising of violence so that the deadlock created and the conflicts on the streets of this friendly and sibling country can be overcome in respect for human rights", following the Presidential elections.