Fortuitous state visit sees presidents issue point statement on “free and fair trade” and peace
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has had the fortuitous opportunity to talk face-to-face with his Indian counterpart today about “free and fair trade” and the “common effort” to affirm international law as Droupadi Murmu began a two-day state visit to Portugal – and as, elsewhere, the government stressed the importance of trading partnerships with India.
It is a visit that has been scheduled for some time, but by happy coincidence falls as the world scrambles to deal with the chaos unleashed by the various policies of Donald Trump.
“At this time, our common effort is very important, affirming international law, the values of the United Nations Charter, multilateralism, free and fair trade, maintaining the construction of peace through tolerance and dialogue, and also the concern with economic, fiscal and trade policies, which must guarantee more growth and avoid the risk of recessions”, said Marcelo in a joint statement with Ms Murmu, who appreciated her Portuguese counterpart’s observation that the visit is taking place “at a very challenging international moment”.
“A time when multilateralism, the rules-based international system, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the belief in increasing common prosperity through free trade, the certainty of the need to combat climate change, all these principles and values are in crisis, called into question by some who were the great builders and constructors of these values and principles”, the joint statement continued diplomatically.
Marcelo noted that India has a “fundamental role” since “it is the largest democracy on the planet, it is an immense economic power, it has a crucial role in the multilateral system, as demonstrated by the recent presidency of the G20.
“That is why Portugal has always defended that India should be and will be, in the reform of the United Nations Security Council, a permanent member, hence also the reciprocity in support in the elections of non-permanent members: India supports Portugal, Portugal supports India in the coming years”, he said.
The President also indicated that the two countries are “doing a lot” and will “do more in cultural relations, in art, in cinema, in education, in relations between companies, in the opening of air routes, in tourism, in defence industries, in scientific and technological exchange, in artificial intelligence, in digital, in renewable energies”.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa noted that the state visit by the President of Indiatakes place five years after she visited previously and marks “the celebration of 50 years since the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between India and Portugal”.
The Portuguese head of state highlighted the two countries’ “fraternal relations, so fraternal”, with “more than five centuries of coexistence between two peoples who, through their exchanges, founded the first globalisation, and, over more than 500 years, with sometimes complex relations, knew how to build a relationship and a partnership that are flourishing today”.
Marcelo expressed his “immense appreciation for the Indian community in Portugal, around 50,000 strong, one of the most powerful, influential and significant”, which “contributes so much to economic and social development”. He also referred to the “smaller Portuguese community in India”, arguing that “bilateral cooperation will improve and be improved by younger generations”.
Draupadi Murmu was received with military honors at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon.
Before addressing the press of both countries, Droupadi Murmu and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa presented a stamp to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Portugal and India. ND
Source material: LUSA
