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

We are extremely pleased to welcome Your Excellency, Mister President, as well as your illustrious retinue, on your State Visit to Portugal.

I would express how honoured we feel by your first Visit to our Country which will, I am certain, greatly contribute to the strengthening of the relationship between Portugal and Bulgaria, at the most diverse levels.

We are very gratified with your acceptance of the invitation I addressed you in my visit to Bulgaria, last June. The regularity of our meetings, also within the scope of the Arraiolos Group, is a solid testimony of the existing friendship between our countries and between our peoples. I particularly recall Your Excellency’s participation in the Braga meeting of the Arraiolos Group, in September 2014. We then had the opportunity to very deeply discuss topics of unquestionable relevance, such as the case of migrations.

Mister President,

A few months ago, in Sofia, we both agreed it would be possible to confer on our bilateral relationship a dimension concurrent with our lengthy common history and with the excellent political understanding which exists between our countries.

Important steps have been taken both with respect to trade and the economy, with the setting up of the Bulgarian Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and the signature of a Protocol for Cooperation in the tourism area, which will be complemented tomorrow with the subscription of a Protocol specifically covering training in the field of tourism.

Globally, however, the economic relationship between our two countries is still far from the existing potential.

It is necessary to provide continuity to these initiatives and I am pleased with the fact that Your Excellency has agreed to be present at the meeting to be held tomorrow with Portuguese entrepreneurs. It is important to identify and promote new business and investment opportunities between Portuguese and Bulgarian entrepreneurs.

We are partners in the European Union and in NATO and, I reiterate, we maintain an excellent political relationship.

I thus hope that bilateral cooperation may continue being deepened in areas such as transport, particularly in sea ports, railways and roadway infrastructures, information technologies and “e-governance” solutions.

Mister President,

The improvement in the reciprocal knowledge and understanding between our peoples also comprises the interest surrounding the language and culture of both countries. Should there be any doubt, it would be enough to recall a verse of Bulgarian poet Nikolai Kanchev: “At world’s end, where the world finishes, is the Word”.

I was able to view, in Sofia, and with great appreciation, the much that has already been carried out in the teaching of Portuguese. I hope it is possible to continue developing the interchange of young people and the reciprocal curiosity over the contemporary cultural production in both countries.

As we are well aware, the European Union is facing grievous challenges, which will require very firm solidarity amongst the Member States, a large dosage of creativity and plenty of good sense. Simultaneously, we need to continue developing efforts in the promotion of growth and employment; in the implementation of solid European policies in the field of structural investments and in the operation of a single market comprising a digital component; in the Energy Union and in energy interconnections. And it seems to me equally indispensable to invigorate the affective connection between citizens and the European project.

In this context, I am pleased to salute Bulgaria’s joining the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe. This adhesion corroborates and strengthens the relevance of that platform for harmonious dialogue, at a time when the action of the Centre on behalf of global education for citizenship and intercultural dialogue is becoming especially relevant.

Mister President,

I allow myself to once again underline the relevance of Your Excellency’s visit. The meetings you held today and the entrepreneurial encounter which will take place tomorrow will truly provide a new impetus to our relationship. Our countries share history, common projects, and fundamental values, and betoken, more than ever, a strong reciprocal interest.

Your visit, Mister President, will, I am certain, constitute a new marker in the ever closer cooperation between our countries, at bilateral, European and International levels.

It is in this spirit that I ask you all to join me in a toast to the health and personal happiness of President Rosen Plevneliev, to the friendship between Portugal and Bulgaria and to the growing prosperity of our peoples.

Thank you very much