The President of the Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva, invited the President of Ukraine to visit Lisbon and speak in the Portuguese Parliament, indicating that Volodymyr Zelensky accepted the invitation.
“I have invited the President of Ukraine to visit Lisbon and also to address our parliament in plenary. I did so, as I said, under the powers I have, but also in the knowledge that I am the vast majority of parliament would have with me when I made this request, which was immediately accepted”announced Santos Silva at the start of the plenary session.
According to the Rules, it is the duty of the President of the Assembly of the Republic, after hearing the Conference of Leaders”to exceptionally invite national and foreign persons to take their seats in the plenary chamber and to speak”.
The speaker of parliament also said that he has made available in the Assembly “the very great knowledge that exists”, “either at the level of parliamentarians, of the Committee on European Affairs, but also of other committees, or at the level of civil servants”to support Ukraine in applying for membership of the European Union.
“And my expectation is that at the next visit of President Stefanchuk here to the Assembly of the Republic, we will be able to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, formalizing this cooperation”he pointed it out.
At the start of Friday’s plenary session, and after the PSD questioned the issue, the President of the Assembly of the Republic took stock of the official visit to Ukraine on Tuesday and Wednesday, accompanied by deputies from the PS, PSD, IL and BE banks, but not from Chega or PCP.
“The visit enabled very important meetings with the President of the Republic of Ukraine, with the Prime Minister, with the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, who kindly invited me to give a speech in the plenary session of the Parliament”indicated.
The President of the Assembly of the Republic also indicated that the visit “it also included a particularly moving point, which was the opportunity to visit Kiev University, where Portuguese is taught and studied, and meet the respective professors and students”.
“It was also an expressive way to commemorate the World Day of the Portuguese Language and the cooperation that exists, not only at the level of governments and parliaments, but also at the level of academic institutions between the two countries”considered.
Santos Silva considered that “it was a very important visit”, having thanked “the cooperation of everyone in the organization, including the absolute discretion” with which, at his request, “the members of the entourage behaved”.
“This was essential to make the visit possible also from a logistical and security point of view, since the deputies who accompanied me can, if they wish, inform the respective parliamentary groups”he claimed.
Earlier, the PSD party chairman asked to speak to congratulate the trip “the president, accompanied by deputies of this house, made to Ukraine”who “has greatly ennobled this parliament”.
“And welcome everyone back, at a time when the conflict in Ukraine is intensifying, but which we hope can end as soon as possible”noted Joaquim Miranda Sarmento.
The Ukrainian president already spoke to the Assembly of the Republic in April last year, but then by video conference.
Source: DN
