“On the Ukraine issue, I have not detected any disagreement between the President of the Republic and the government,” António Costa said speaking to journalists in São Tomé after the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) summit.
In a joint press conference with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and also attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister stated the following: “The government, responsible under the constitution for conducting the country’s foreign and domestic policies, has long ago defined, in full agreement with the President of the Republic, its understanding of the European perspective from Ukraine.
António Costa considered that Portugal told Ukraine “from the very beginning” that it would give “all the support” and “provide technical support for the pre-accession work”.
“What Portugal has said in all transparency, and it is our duty to the Ukrainians, is that the expectations that the European Union has created for Ukraine cannot be frustrated,” he defended, deeming it necessary to reflect whether the country meets the accession criteria, but also whether the European Union “fulfills the criteria to successfully welcome the countries that want to join”.
The head of government indicated that this issue had already been discussed during a meeting of the Council of State.
Costa pointed out that “there is a very clear consensus today throughout the European Union that with this budgetary and institutional architecture it is impossible to accommodate both Ukraine and the other candidate countries”, but that this “should not be a pretext to postpone any kind of crisis. of accession, should be a motivation to accelerate the necessary reforms within the European Union.”
The Prime Minister also pointed out that Ukraine is a country that “is becoming the fifth largest country in the European Union alone”, implying an “increase in expenditure on the common agricultural policy of about 25% and certainly in very demanding circumstances is for the whole of Europe”.
“What would not be serious or responsible was not to put on the table all the questions that need to be asked and properly resolved so that Ukraine’s integration process becomes a success at least as great as the success of integration. Spanish, Greek, from all the countries that have joined the European Union,” he insisted.
The head of government also indicated that Portugal’s attitude was “regarded very positively by Ukraine and in particular by President Zelensky”, because he is “aware that life does not only have the good side” and that life also has the good side. side has. necessary to “solve the hard side”.
The Prime Minister was asked about the state of relations with the President of the Republic. This was the first time they were together after the veto on the housing diploma and after the visit of the head of state to Ukraine, where he said that there was no “one double game” in the Portuguese position on Ukraine’s European integration, which is supportive is, stating that “there is no one above the president who can say otherwise”.
Subsequently, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa noted the discrepancy between the schedules, noting that the two were on vacation, to which “they are entitled”, and insisting that there is “nothing more pathological or anything special in this area, if not this coincidence” with now gathered in São Tomé, for the CPLP summit.
António Costa later commented that he took a “little break from vacation” for this trip and that he will enjoy a few more days “until the end of the month”.
Source: DN
