Mister President,

I was deeply saddened by the news of the passing away of your Wife, Mrs. Ruth Cardoso.

In this hour of great pain and sorrow, please allow me to extend, on behalf of the People of Portugal, on that of my wife and in my own personal name, our deepest condolences and to pay our tributes to Mrs. Ruth Cardoso, a woman of great humanist values, of admirable intelligence and manner, a distinct academician and First Lady, who dedicated a large part of her life to the promotion of values of equitableness, responsible citizenship and respect for the dignity of the human person.

I beg you to accept, Mister President, our vows of deepest sorrow, and ask you to relay to the remaining members of the family our very deepest condolences.