The German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, asked this Wednesday that Europe remain united to overcome challenges as has happened in recent years and demonstrated, for example, in support for Ukraine.
In Lisbon, Annalena Baerbock quoted a song by the Portuguese singer Marisa to ask that the European Union speak with “one voice”, underlining, throughout her speech at the 2023 Diplomatic Seminar, that this is the message for this new year.
“This New Year is also very special for me personally. Because, here in Portugal, at the age of one and a half years, I learned to walk, because my parents brought me directly to their beautiful country just after the Carnation Revolution”, he revealed. the diplomat, stressing that returning to national territory is “always very special”.
Praising the “wonderful lighthouses” of Portugal, such as “those of Sagres or Cabo da Roca”, Baerbock explained that, for “some of the German colleagues” present at the meeting, “these are the westernmost places on our continent, which people call them the end of Europe”.
“But we all know that Portugal is right in the heart of Europe. I don’t think the wonderful singer Mariza was thinking of the European Union when she wrote her fado “A Nossa Voz,” she introduced, before quoting the Portuguese fado singer.
“This voice that you are thinking of, could well be our European voice. She sings: “We will be a thousand hearts of one, and a single voice of a thousand.” In Portuguese, and I hope I pronounced it correctly: “A single voice,” she said , recalling that in the last year “this unity, this united voice like never before” was necessary and that this was demonstrated in the support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion, where the role of Portugal stood out.
One of the countries furthest from Ukraine, he said, “has shown that solidarity is not about proximity” but about the choice between justice and lack thereof and that neutrality is not the option.
The head of diplomacy also stressed, before the audience of Portuguese diplomats, that the European Union cannot “have decisions blocked for internal reasons” and defended that in some areas the majority vote should prevail, specifically referring to areas such as sanctions and climate change.
The final part of his speech focused on this issue, saying that this is the great challenge facing the world and Europe.
He praised the role of Portugal in the development of renewable energies and the recent agreement, with Spain and France, for the development of the green hydrogen production and transport project.
“Making Europe the first neutral continent in climate terms is very and increasingly important,” he defended.
The annual meeting of Portuguese ambassadors abroad will be held again this year in Lisbon, today and Thursday, after two cancellations due to the pandemic, and this year the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, will be the main speaker.
The Diplomatic Seminar is an annual meeting of Portuguese ambassadors to discuss foreign policy priorities with members of the Government, businessmen and academics.
The seminar is also the occasion for the presentation of the economic diplomatic award of the year, awarded by the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP) since 2013, which will take place on this first day of work, which ends with the presence of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebel D’Souza.
The award distinguishes the head of a diplomatic mission that, in the previous year, stood out in defending and supporting the internationalization of companies and attracting foreign investment, contributing to the growth of the Portuguese economy.
The winner, according to a source from the MNE, is Francisco Ribeiro de Menezes, ambassador in Berlin.
Source: TSF
