By: CECÍLIA PIRES
PORTUGAL’S PRESIDENCY of the EU, which starts on Monday (July 2) and runs for six months, will see attention focused on the area around the Expo building at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon.
The building, which represents the modern Lisbon after its revamp for Expo 98, will be host to two major events during the presidency.
On Wednesday (July 4) it will be the venue for the European Union-Brazil summit, due to be attended by the Brazilian president, Lula da Silva.
Then, on October 18, it will be host to an informal meeting of all heads of state and government of the EU.
By the time the Portuguese presidency ends in December, hundreds of working meetings will have been held involving the European Commission committees and other EU institutional organisations.
Celebrations
The Pavilhão Atlântico will also be home to the hundreds of journalists who are expected to follow presidency. This international location helped to change the imagine of the north side of the capital from an abandoned industrial park to an expensive and business oriented new neighbourhood, better known as the Zona da Expo, the Expo zone.
Presidency celebrations kick-off tomorrow (Saturday) in Porto, with the opening ceremony taking place at the Casa da Música (music house), a building designed as a tribute to the music of the world. An opening concert will be followed by a dinner in the Porto Câmara.
Meanwhile, security arrangements for the Portuguese presidency have been stepped up.
Security
Since late last year, preparations have involved a special team, Unidade Especial de Missão, special unit for the mission, comprising almost a thousand agents police forces around the country.
It is expected there will be around 700 agents on duty for the meetings on July 4 and October 18 alone.
The elite forces of Polícia Judiciária, GNR, PSP, anti-terrorism and explosive special teams will be a frequent sight for visitors to the areas where the meetings will take place.
The security clearance for everyone involved in any of the meetings, including journalists, is already being carried by the internal security information service.
A special team has also been trained to drive the vehicles that will transport the European heads of state and government teams.
A total of 150 luxury cars, including an armored vehicle, will be on call for the entire six months.
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