The President of the Assembly of the Republic on Tuesday characterized Brazil’s head of state as a political leader and statesman who won free elections, reduced social inequalities and defended democratic institutions.
These views were defended by Augusto Santos Silva in the speech he gave at the welcoming ceremony for the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, to the Parliament, also in the presence of the Portuguese Head of State, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the Prime Minister, António Costa .
“With you, Brasilia opens again to the world, because in you we recognize the political leader whose social policies have decisively contributed to the reduction of poverty and inequality in Brazil. In you, we recognize the statesman who presented himself and won free elections and that, later, when some tried to invade and overthrow the Brazilian democratic institutions, he knew how to defend them without any hesitation, “said the President of the Assembly of the Republic.
These statements were welcomed by all deputies from the parliamentary left, but not by the PSD and Chega banks.
Augusto Santos Silva went on to emphasize that, from a diplomatic point of view, “the personality that Brazilians elect as president is always welcome in the Portuguese parliament”.
And he added that the Portuguese parliament is “proud to have already received four” heads of state from Brazil and Lula da Silva for the second time.
In reference to the controversy surrounding Lula da Silva’s presence in parliament on April 25, the former Minister of State and Foreign Affairs thanked “on behalf of the Assembly of the Republic all gestures of fraternal attention” from the Brazilian side in connection with the national political authorities, “including the warm way the Brazilian Congress received President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in 2022”.
“And I salute the intensity of the relationship between the authorities of the two nations, which once again does justice to the closeness and intimacy of the relationship between the two peoples,” he added.
According to the version presented by the President of the Assembly of the Republic, “the agenda meeting” ensures that the solemn welcoming session of the President of Brazil takes place “on a very important date for Portugal, the date of the celebration of the democratic revolution, 25 April”.
“The day when the red carnation on the street and on the chest of many Portuguese symbolizes our freedom and the peaceful way we achieved it. This democratic and peaceful revolution also unites the two countries,” he defended.
Justifying this statement, the President of the Assembly of the Republic left an indirect critique of the former Brazilian head of state, pointing out that “few understood and sang April 25 better than Chico Buarque de Holanda, who was awarded the Camões in 2019 prize – the prize which, after overcoming the obstacles of prejudiced sectarianism, he was finally able to receive yesterday”.
“The Portuguese transition of the 1970s would inspire the Brazilian transition of the 1980s. Since then, the two democracies have deepened their common alignment around freedom and political pluralism, human rights, the democratic rule of law and with a strong social component, the separation of powers, the promotion of inclusive development and the link to equality. -discrimination. We are therefore the two countries, brothers in history and brothers in democratic freedom,” he insisted.
April’s carnations symbolize the struggle for Ukrainian freedom
The President of the Assembly of the Republic also emphasized that Portugal and Brazil share the defense of international law and emphasized that the carnations of the Portuguese revolution in April symbolize Ukrainians’ struggle for their freedom.
These references by Augusto Santos Silva to the situation in Ukraine, in which he condemned the Russian invasion, were made in the last part of the speech he delivered at the formal welcoming meeting of Brazil’s head of state, Lula da Silva.
In the presence of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the Prime Minister, António Costa, Augusto Santos Silva asserted that Portugal and Brazil “strive for a safe and sustainable world, regulated by international law, a multipolar world in which every nation has its place, a world governed by multilateral institutions and agendas committed to peace, development and human rights”.
After defending Brazil’s accession as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the former foreign and foreign minister referred to the Ukraine issue, in which the Portuguese and Brazilian positions do not completely coincide.
“The world needs Portugal and Brazil, and needs it now. Now that a bloody and dramatic conflict is unfolding in Eastern Europe, the political and economic consequences of which are global,” concluded the President of the Assembly of the Republic, before stressed that “the Ukrainian people are victims of carnage and barbaric destruction”.
“We support Ukraine in the struggle for independence and territorial integrity. The red carnation that celebrates our freedom today also symbolizes the freedom that Ukrainians are fighting for today,” emphasized the President of the Assembly of the Republic, receiving applause from PS deputies and the PSD.
In his speech, Augusto Santos Silva defended that it is extremely urgent to exchange weapons for peace talks”, with a view to “ending the conflict” and “protecting the legitimate interests involved”.
“We need to talk more about negotiations and less about battles. The condition is simple and depends solely on the Russian Federation: the aggressor ceases hostilities and withdraws from the sovereign country it has invaded,” he stressed, reiterating received applause.
In this regard, the President of the Assembly of the Republic pointed out that Portugal, as a member of the European Union and NATO, “participates in actions in defense of international law, European security and Ukrainian independence”.
“It is doing this with the full understanding that this is not a regional problem but a global one and that is why it is important to talk about it with all relevant countries, North and South, West or East. That is why it is very helpful that the subject of a permanent dialogue between Portugal and Brazil,” he commented as Lula da Silva listened to him.
At this point, Augusto Santos Silva even made the following point: “While Portugal and Brazil conduct their own foreign policies, they must be able to come together in favor of peace”.
“Europe needs Brazil and Brazil needs the support of the Portuguese Parliament in strengthening political, economic and trade ties with the European Union. The conclusion of the agreement with Mercosur has lost neither relevance nor opportunity. commitment of the Assembly of the Republic, within the scope of its powers, to this end,” he said.
According to the President of the Assembly of the Republic, this agreement with Mercosur, in addition to economic consequences, “has a geopolitical impact and should be considered as such”.
Regarding the Community of Lusophone Countries (CPLP), the former Minister of State and Foreign Affairs stressed that today it is no longer “just an intergovernmental organization for political and diplomatic consultation and cooperation based on the common language”.
“The community is also a space for people to circulate and wants to develop an economic pillar, which defines a new scale for exchanges and investments. With the return of President Lula da Silva to the Planalto Palace, a new opportunity opens up for the Brazilian participants with the other members of the CPLP in the effort to make our community even more vibrant and strong,” he added.
Source: DN
