The President of the Republic attended, in Wartburg, Germany, the XI Informal Meeting of European Heads of State comprised in the Arraiolos Group, which, in its first day of discussions, debated the strengthening of cohesion in Europe amongst other themes of European current interest.

Eleven countries of the European Union – Germany, Austria, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Poland and Portugal, and also Bulgaria, Estonia and Malta, these invited as observers – were represented by their respective Heads of State, all of them non-executive Presidents.

In the Castle of Wartburg, in the Thuringia region, German President Joachim Gauck welcomed his guests, who then heard a lecture by an academician from Göttingen University on “The Reform and its impact on Europe”.

The first working session of this Informal Meeting of Heads of State covered the theme “Strengthening Cohesion in Europe”, with addresses by all the participants in the discussion.

Alongside the meetings President Cavaco Silva held bilateral talks with several of his counterparts in Wartburg.

The German President later hosted a dinner in honour of the participating Heads of State.