CPLP: PR advocates that Guinea-Bissau should assume the next presidency

The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, said on Saturday, August 26, that Guinea-Bissau should hold the next presidency of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) for a two-year term.

“It’s very simple. What has been decided since the Luanda summit is that Guinea-Bissau is the country chosen and voted for in this summit,” the Portuguese president said upon his arrival in Sao Tome and Principe, where he will take part in the summit. From CPLP, on Sunday.

Responding to journalists’ questions about the support expressed on Saturday by Prime Minister Antonio Costa for Guinea-Bissau’s presidency of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza stressed that “this is the issue of consensus.”

He defended this, saying: “I see no reason to stop being present, it should be in Guinea-Bissau for two years.”

And the President of the Republic considered that “this is what was decided and this is what this summit should devote,” refusing to amend the rules of the Presidency of the Group of Portuguese-speaking Countries.

Marcelo Rebelo de Souza flew to Sao Tome and Principe on a TAP plane and landed a few minutes before 6pm local time (one hour less than Lisbon).

The head of state considered that the convening of this summit in Sao Tome and Principe was “a great victory for the people and authorities” of that country, and said that he expected “a great and successful meeting”.

“The conclusions are very good with regard to the issue of youth, the issue of sustainable development, the importance of climate, the reduction of poverty and inequality, the increase of employment opportunities, mobility, the energy transition, the rapprochement of the peoples of the world. The Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, within society, and society in relation to the outside” Pointing out that this organization “is present in all continents.”

Marcelo Rebelo de Souza also highlighted that there were “four heads of state elected between the Luanda summit and this summit”, and they are from Brazil (Lula da Silva), Cape Verde (José María Neves) and Sao Tome (Carlos Vila Nova). and East Timor (José Ramos-Horta).

The President of the Republic also highlighted the case of Brazil, which “has fully returned to attending summits of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries”, having held meetings “at which it was not represented at the highest level”.

With regard to youth, the Portuguese president indicated that society in Portugal is “very old”, unlike what is happening in other countries of the organization, but noted that many of the problems faced by all these youth “are the same”. It is necessary that we find together, at this summit, “a way to respond to their aspirations”.

Prime Minister António Costa today expressed Lisbon’s support for Guinea-Bissau’s presidency of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, which has been recognized by his Guinean counterpart, Geraldo Martins.

The Portuguese Prime Minister, who arrived in Sao Tome a few minutes after the arrival of the President of the Republic, traveled on board the Falcon and made a technical stopover in that country to receive the new Guinean Prime Minister.