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

Mister Speaker,
Prime Minister,
Military Chiefs of Staff,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Once empowered as Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff, General Luís Araújo takes up the most senior office in the military hierarchy and will be responsible for the most important duties as operational commander of the armed forces and as counsellor to the sovereign bodies with competences in the area of National Defence.

A word of deep recognition is owed to General Valença Pinto, who completes his mandate. It is fully justified to enhance his great competence and refined sense as to the national interest with which he developed the processes of change in our Armed Forces, as well as the highly dignified posture with which he represented Portugal in the international organizations in which we belong, bringing prestige to the Country and to its military institution.

General Luís Araújo takes up his duties in a complex external environment subject to the very deepest of changes.

NATO approved, in Lisbon, a new strategic concept in order to become adapted to the challenges and threats we are facing. It is with a sense of responsibility that Portugal reiterates its commitment within the scope of this Organization, adapting and readying its forces for the novel type of missions that are requested from us.

The new concept also comprises a greater strategic and capacity adjustment between NATO and the European Union, already foreseen, anyway, in the Lisbon Treaty, and that is shown as essential for the rationalization of efforts and means placed at the disposal of the two organizations, in the promotion of collective security and defence.

On the other hand, the strengthening of Spoken Portuguese and of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries is a challenge to be conquered and an opportunity to exploit. We share a set of values, a common history and a language that we are duty bound to defend and to disseminate, by respecting our past and as an investment in our future. Among the multiple façades involved I would naturally emphasize, here, the technical and military cooperation with the Portuguese speaking countries.

Internally, the support of the Armed Forces for the people and their cooperation with the security services and forces are shown to be more than ever necessary, as a result of posible transnational threats and of the very risks associated to an unstable ecosystem.

The performance of missions must, as is naturally understood, be linked to the financial constraints that characterize the Country’s current situation. It is necessary to act with balance and rationality, in order to soften the impact of the budgetary restrictions on re-equipment, in personnel management and in the operational product of the Armed Forces.

And it is immediately necessary to carefully establish a set of priorities in the allocation of resources and in the resizing of structures, in a difficult framework that the forces understand..

General Araújo,

Amongst the areas of effort that are lined up in Your Excellency’s mandate, the consolidation and the development of the undergoing reforms, following the legislation approved in the last two years, are certainly included.

I will single out, on the one hand, the development of the processes of rationalization and integration of structures in the Armed Forces, particularly in the areas of joint command and of higher military education and, on the other, the completion of the installation of the Armed Forces Hospital, in the headquarters of which the solutions that are best adapted to the established objectives will necessarily be found. .

It will not be in any way understood that interests other than those of the institution may be allowed to overlay the operability and the quality of the services rendered to the members of the Armed Forces and to the military family.

The integration and the sharing of other military services and capabilities can equally be considered as a means allowed by the current geopolitical environment and that is advised by the current economic situation we are facing.

It is thus necessary to analyse the impact of the budgetary restrictions of the Law of Military Programming, re-establishing priorities in order to guarantee, primarily, the accomplishment of the missions that have been assigned to us within the scope of the currently assumed commitments.

Our security and our assertion as a State have, more than ever, to take place away from national territory, thus demanding, in the framework of international alliances, a growing stake on cooperative security and in the combined sharing of efforts, resources and capabilities.

The Armed Forces are, in this framework, an indispensable instrument of the State’s external policy and a major factor for the success of the humanitarian and peace support missions.

The coordination of the participation and employment of the National Forces Detached outside the National Territory will doubtlessly deserve Your Excellency’s best regard, as well as the cooperation between the Armed Forces and the civil protection services, for the support of the people at risk or in emergency situations..

The Portuguese trust and recognize themselves in the Armed Forces.

The recognition of the performance of our Armed Forces has been the consequence of the reinforced cohesion they demonstrate, of the references and values upon which their organization is based and of the high degree of preparedness evidenced in the accomplishment of complex and risky missions, in the most diverse theatres of operations, which has earned them great prestige abroad.

General Luís Araújo,

Your Excellency’s long and successful career confers upon you the experience and the competence required for the performance of the important duties in which you are invested, as well as the authority to congregate the efforts and the dynamics of the Military Institution in the achievement of the objectives established by the higher powers and to provide to the political power the best bases for decision taking.

Your Excellency will certainly be aware on how to find the most adequate way to accomplish the demanding mission with which you are now entrusted, for the benefit of Portugal and of its Armed Forces. For this you may reckon with the support and the solidarity of the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander.

Thank you.