Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa receives President Diaz-Canel Bermudez at the National Palace in Belém. Author: @PresidenciaCuba
Lisbon Portugal.- As they are, dignitaries of two nations united by centuries of relationship, this Friday in the middle of the morning, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, lived a day marked by friendship and conviction that the future must strengthen all intimacy.
At the Belém National Palace – the current residence of the President of the Portuguese Republic – the meeting took place when the President of Portugal officially welcomed his colleague, who is making a state visit until July 16 next year to the Iberian nation. .
On the threshold of the Sala de Bicos – the symbolic place of the Palace – the owner warmly embraced the Caribbean president; and then both went to take the official photo, the protocol gesture that these reception ceremonies lack.
With a black and white marble floor, exquisite tiles, busts of Roman emperors, and a ceiling canvas – the largest in the Belém Palace – the Bikos Hall was the place where President Diaz-Canel Bermudez made his way to the wide piece of furniture on which the pages of the Book of Honor were waiting.
In these pages, the head of state of Cuba said: In this beautiful palace, a place that holds a piece of Portuguese history and culture, I thank you on behalf of the Cuban government and people for the opportunity to speak with the President of Portugal. republics, about friendly and historical ties between our countries.
Today, this place has witnessed a reaffirmation of the common will to further strengthen our bilateral relationship, which has existed for more than a century, which is renewed by the actions that we have decided to take together in various fields for the benefit of our countries.
On the agenda of Diaz-Canel, it was the turn of private conversations with his colleague. This exchange preceded the statements that both later offered to the press. And within these brackets – before they publicly stated – there was also a place to award the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba with the Grand Collar of the Order of the Infanta don Enrique, the highest honor given to Heads of State visiting the Lusitanian country.
words about friendship
Once in front of the microphones, the host president spoke first, emphasizing his familiarity: “President Miguel Diaz-Canel,” he confirmed, “is his home and the home of all Cubans.”
Marcelo de Souza spoke about the value of maintaining a permanent relationship with Cuba; He mentioned that closeness which explains the resistance of the Iberian country to the imperialist blockade from which the island suffers, and which explains, among other things, the special attention of Portugal to the interim presidency which Cuba has taken over from the Group. out of 77 plus China.
The host president mentioned tourism, the field of renewable energy sources and building infrastructure as spaces that can strengthen relations. And he referred to the recently signed memorandum when the visit of the Portuguese Minister of Health to Cuba took place, a fact which, he said, means that “there is room for cooperation with Cuban doctors in Portugal, at present, as it was.” in past”.
When it comes to energy and digital technologies, he says, we can go much further. I hope this can materialize quickly. The head of the Portuguese state recalled his visit to the Greater Antilles in 2016. And at another point in his words, he stressed: “We are primarily interested in the future, and the future means strengthening friendship, strengthening cooperation, strengthening cultural, economic, social, political and diplomatic cooperation, and above all strengthening existing ties between both sides. peoples.”
“The Portuguese people,” he declared, “are like the Cuban people; we know that the Cuban people also love the Portuguese; Therefore, it is a fundamental principle of conversation for visits and mutual contacts between the political leaders of both countries, who have known, appreciated and admired each other for more than 100 years.
In the same tone of cordiality and closeness, President Díaz-Canel said to his partner: Thank you very much for your words, dear friend Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, President of the Portuguese Republic. We feel at home. In the few hours that we have spent here visiting Portugal, all we have received are displays of affection, affection, great understanding and sensitivity to the problems of Cuba, as well as a clear, concrete will to be able to advance and deepen our economic, trade, political, diplomatic and cooperation relations.
The Cuban dignitary said: “It is a great honor for us to be in this beautiful country, with which we are united by common traditions in the cultural and historical spheres; in the city and country that we admire; in a country with which we recognize all its links with Latin America and the Caribbean and which has left a deep mark on the history of our region.”
And he added that this is a long-awaited visit. He also mentioned previous points such as the visits of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro to Lusitanian soil or the visit of Rebelo de Souza to a Caribbean island. For these reasons, the president defined the current visit as a continuation aimed at strengthening everything that we have proposed over the years of relations.
Then the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party said: “It should be noted that Portugal is one of the few countries with which Cuba has had centuries-old relations: our peoples have maintained diplomatic relations for 104 years. And he did not forget that this visit also takes place in the context of the celebrations of the EU-CELAC summit in the coming days, 17 and 18 July, in Brussels, in which Cuba will take an active and very constructive part. relations between the EU and Latin America.
Regarding the conversations he had in private with President Rebelo de Souza, Diaz-Canel emphasized that “the spirit of cooperation, understanding; These were very fruitful conversations that show the willingness of both sides to continue to develop, expand and strengthen our bilateral relations in areas of mutual interest.”
We expressed and expressed, confirmed our interest in expanding trade, economic, investment and cooperative relations in those sectors where work is already underway and we have experience that allows us to take a solid step forward, with the participation of Portuguese and Cuban companies jointly, in a whole group of areas; and we are also willing to explore new areas for mutual benefit, the senior official explained.
Today, Portugal is actually one of the main commercial partners of Cuba with investments and enterprises of various kinds, the head of state noted, emphasizing the wide participation of Portugal in the annual Business and Investment Fair held in Havana. , at the end of the year.
In the 35th year of relations between the European Union and Cuba, Diaz-Canel said, we reaffirm the agreement on political dialogue and cooperation between Cuba and this regional bloc, which is an important mechanism for maintaining and expanding ties between both parties; and Portugal has been a very active State in promoting this dialogue, this political dialogue and cooperation agreement.
I thanked the President for the clear position of the European Union, and in particular Portugal, against the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against Cuba,” the senior official said, reminding reporters that this siege is a major obstacle to the development of our country.
In the same vein, the head of state explained about the meeting with Rebelo de Souza: “We have updated the economic and social situation that Cuba is experiencing as a result of the tightening of the blockade, as well as in connection with the inclusion in the list of terrorist countries and, above all, in connection with the application of Chapter III of the Helms-Burton Act, which affects the Cuban people and also significantly affects European countries in their relations with Cuba.
Regarding these hours marked by friendship, the President of Cuba confirmed: We have great confidence, confidence, confidence that this visit will contribute to the expansion of our uninterrupted bilateral relations in this year, in which they have been established for 104 years. It is a relationship, he said, “that has not only reached maturity, but also forms a solid foundation for future succession.
Finally, in the Bikos Hall, the Head of State stated: “I want to reaffirm Cuba’s firm intention to continue to strengthen respectful and friendly relations with the people and government of Portugal, and to thank everyone for giving us the opportunity to do so.” visit this beautiful country.
In the afternoon there was time for other meetings; among them, the arrival of the President of Cuba at the headquarters of the Assembly of the Republic of the Iberian country, where he was received by its President, Augusto Santos Silva. There, on the pages of the Book of Honor, a dignitary wrote: “On the occasion of my first official visit to the Portuguese Republic, I am pleased to visit the headquarters of the Assembly of the Republic, the seat of the legislative power of this Great Country. Communication with the Chairman of the Assembly and other deputies allowed us to confirm our desire to develop our bilateral ties based on the history of friendship and exchange between our peoples.
“On behalf of the President of the National Assembly of the People’s Power of the Republic of Cuba, his deputies and the people of Cuba, I convey my heartfelt greetings to the deputies, whom we thank for the renewed expressions of solidarity with the Cuban Revolution.”
Diaz-Canel and his accompanying delegation laid a wreath at the tomb of the poet Luis Vaz de Camões, located in the Jeronimos Monastery. Photo: Cuban Presidency.
The visit of the President of Cuba to the headquarters of the Assembly of the Republic of the Iberian country, where he was received by its President Augusto Santos Silva Photo: Presidency Cuba.
Source: Juventud Rebelde
