Sao Paulo, Brazil, Nov. 20, 2024 - Portugal's prime minister said on Wednesday that the government wants to "further deepen relations" with Brazil, with a bilateral summit in Brasilia on 19 February and a business forum in São Paulo the following day.

Speaking before a lunch with the Portuguese community in São Paulo at Casa de Portugal, where he received the Order of Merit of Infante Dom Henrique, Montenegro detailed the announcement he had already made on Monday, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, about the holding of this bilateral meeting between Brazil and Portugal.

"We're going to hold a summit here in Brazil next February, in Brasilia in this case. There's going to be a state visit by the Portuguese president, I'll be here myself and we're working to promote an economic meeting that brings together our community representatives, our businesspeople and also those Brazilian companies that see Portugal as a land of opportunity," he said.

A source in the prime minister's office then gave details of the dates of these meetings: the bilateral summit is scheduled for 19 February in Brasilia, and the business forum between the two countries is scheduled for 20 February in São Paulo.

"We will perhaps be at the highest point in the history of interaction between Portugal and Brazil," Montenegro emphasised, welcoming the "multifaceted" Portuguese community in São Paulo.

"I know that here you'll find great entrepreneurs, I know that here you'll find people of culture, I know that here you'll find people from many fields of activity, from construction, energy, banking, the liberal professions, new technologies, in many areas of activity where - as we like to say in Portugal and in Portuguese - the Portuguese lead the way, the Portuguese are among the best of the best," he said.

As he had done the day before at a reception with the Portuguese community in Rio de Janeiro, the head of government reiterated the government's intention to strengthen the capacity of the consular network and to support the associative movement.

"I want to tell you on behalf of the Portuguese government that we will do everything we can not to frustrate your expectations of relations with Portugal, of relations with the Portuguese public administration, with our consular network, with our diplomatic network," he assured.

Montenegro invited the businesspeople present at the lunch to "believe in Portugal and invest in Portugal".

"I also take positive note of the affirmation of Portuguese and Portuguese descendants in terms of civic and political participation, holding positions of responsibility. It's no coincidence that both the mayor and the governor of this state have Portuguese nationality," he said.

Montenegro made his speech with the commendation on his chest, saying that the association with Prince Henry the Navigator "cannot be more appropriate for the Portuguese ability to see far".

"Portugal is where your families are, where many of your friends are, where your culture is, where your origin is, where your affection is and I'm absolutely sure where your heart is too," he said.

The prime minister highlighted the high number of both Portuguese in Brazil and Brazilians in Portugal as an opportunity for economic growth in both countries.

"You can effectively be great ambassadors for Portugal throughout Brazil and we will be there with you to also be ambassadors for Brazil at the entrance to Portugal and Europe," he said.

For Montenegro, the strategic co-operation between the two countries could be a lever for "a lasting cycle of economic growth that then gives people well-being, that gives well-being to Portuguese families who live in Portugal and who live outside Portugal".

The lunch with the Portuguese community in São Paulo was the penultimate item on Montenegro's agenda in Brazil, where he arrived on Monday to attend the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro as an observer at the invitation of the Brazilian presidency.

The head of government will then visit the Museum of the Portuguese Language, which opened in 2006 but closed between 2015 and 2021 due to a serious fire, before returning to Portugal, where he will arrive on Thursday late morning.

SMA/AYLS // AYLS

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