Welcome to the Official page of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic

It is with great pleasure and special warmth that I address you, Mr President and Madame Ani Bambang Yudhoyono, in these first moments of what is to be a first visit by a Portuguese Head of State to Indonesia.

I thank Your Excellency for the honourable invitation for this State Visit. It is with special emotion that my wife and I visit this hospitable and friendly land where Portuguese navigators arrived five centuries ago.

Here we have left our imprints in customs, language and affections, which have lasted until today. Here we have learned lessons in life, inspired by ancestral wisdom that shapes, even today, the identity of our peoples.

Ever since, the Portuguese have always been deeply fascinated by the enchanted places of this fantastic archipelago, and the culture and habits of its population.

Today our countries meet once more, as free and democratic nations, sharing our values of tolerance and pluralism, but also the wish, which is reciprocal, of deepening dialogue and mutual knowledge, which will certainly be reflected in the success of this visit and the reinforcement of our cooperation.

Building up a relationship that is strong, dynamic, ambitious and oriented towards the future is the best homage that we can pay to the long history of friendship between our countries and our peoples.

And nothing could be more symbolic, at this special moment of our bilateral relations, than having participated, with Your Excellency, in Deli, in the ceremonies of the tenth anniversary of the independence of East Timor and the swearing-in of the recently elected President of the Democratic Republic of East Timor.

Mr President,

This visit takes place fifty-two years after the first Indonesian President, and founder of the Indonesian nationality, visited Lisbon.

Looking at the path that both our countries and peoples have travelled through in half a century, I must stress the profound transformations our respective societies have met since then.

The Indonesian Nation imposed itself progressively during the uncertainties of the Cold War, entering decisively, as of 1999, in a new phase of consolidation of democratic ideals and political and social pluralism, which all recognise as the key to the economic success and exponential development of this great country.

Portugal is paying special attention to the developments in this part of the world. It is our wish to follow the ongoing dynamics by strengthening of our bilateral relations in all fields, from the scientific to the technological, from the academic to the entrepreneurial, from the touristic to the cultural.

We also wish to bring more awareness of contemporary Portuguese reality.

Portugal is today a consolidated democracy, with an open and dynamic economy, integrated in the wider space of the European Union. The centres of excellence we have been establishing in areas with great growth potential, such as nanotechnology, mobile telecommunications, renewable energies and medical sciences, presently enjoy wide recognition, integrating some of the most dynamic networks of international cooperation.

As it is well known, after the financial crisis that has befallen the euro zone, Portugal is currently in the process of implementing an ambitious programme of structural adjustment, which will make the Portuguese economy and the business environment more competitive. Also here, the Indonesian experience inspires us with its courage and success, on having emerged stronger from the crisis that, not many years ago, deeply affected all this region.

Today, more than ever, Portugal is living in an environment of great receptivity to entrepreneurship and foreign investment. We want to strengthen our external ties, diversify our markets and seize the opportunities available in the global economy and in the fast growing Asian regions, such as Indonesia, where economic dynamism has been predominant.

Our close links to the rest of the world, to Europe as well as to the USA, and those countries where Portuguese is the official language, in Latin America, Africa and Asia, is an asset Portugal is keen on benefiting from, also within the framework of partnerships we have with other countries and regions.

The agreements we signed here today, as well as the business delegation that travelled with me and which will participate tomorrow in the Portugal-Indonesia Business Forum, provide a very clear indication of our commitment in strengthening and diversifying economic cooperation with Indonesia.

Mr President,
Distinguished guests,

Our two nations were capable, in various ways, of gathering the best of their energies to build democratic societies, where citizenship enjoys protection before the Law and under the Rule of Law. And both these democracies are willing to open a new era in their bilateral relations.

This visit and the warm hospitality accorded to us are the eloquent manifestation of the quality of our present bilateral political and diplomatic relationship. But they also express our firm determination to build an ambitious economic and entrepreneurial relationship geared towards the future.

It is in the name of such a promising future that I ask all gathered here to join me in a toast to the health of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to the Indonesian people and to the prosperity of Portuguese-Indonesian relations.