The Portuguese prime minister assumes differences with the president of Brazil over Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, but also says he understands these differences and defends changes in the European Union’s external relations.
The war in Ukraine, relations between the European Union and Mercosur and the activity of the Community of Lusophone Countries (CPLP), according to a national diplomatic source, are three of the political issues that will be discussed at the 13th Portuguese-Brazilian Summit , on Saturday, at the Centro Cultural de Belém.
Earlier this week, António Costa was confronted with statements by Brazil’s President Lula da Silva about the war in Ukraine, in which he criticized, among other things, the European Union and United States military support to the Kyiv government.
The prime minister downplayed the Brazilian president’s views on the war in Ukraine, refuting that relations between Portugal and Brazil have always stood above differences in foreign policy and that there are also differences between brothers.
“The relationship of brotherly friendship with Brazil is based on a common history, on a common language, on thousands of Brazilians living in Portugal, thousands of Portuguese living in Brazil, on the intense commercial and political relationship that exists between each other and in fact that we are part of the CPLP”started referencing.
“This is a reality that has existed for 200 years, even when at one time or another we had radically different positions, whether on foreign policy or even domestic policy.”considered the leader of the Portuguese executive.
Then he added: “In all these moments, Portugal and Brazil have always known how to understand that the level of their relations, the intensity of their relations, is beyond any possible divergence – and that they are normal.”
“Among friends we also differ, between brothers we also differ and between friendly and fraternal states there are also differences. It is normal”completed.
But António Costa has already given a detailed explanation of the causes of these differences between the Member States of the European Union and countries in Latin America or the African continent in terms of foreign policy.
Earlier this year, at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation at the La Toja Forum, he warned that the European Union “needs to make new friends” in the world, in reference to the diplomatic situation the European political bloc finds itself in. in the global panorama of diplomacy.
The leader of the Portuguese executive later claimed that the perception of the war in Ukraine is different in other continents as they are further away from this conflict than Europe. And that the European Union should not confuse strategic economic autonomy with protectionism.
“Strategic autonomy means not depending on others, but not closing in on ourselves”António Costa told the Lusa agency last week when he visited South Korea.
In this sense, the Prime Minister considered it essential that the European Union conclude the trade agreement with Mercosur soon, during the Spanish Presidency of the European Council in the second half of this year.
Source: DN
