The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani and the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel met today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during which the main themes of bilateral and multilateral cooperation were discussed. Italy and Portugal seek to strategically strengthen their bilateral relations, in order to respond together to the increasingly intense challenges of the changing international framework and economy.
Acknowledging the excellent level of partnership between Rome and Lisbon both within the EU and within the Atlantic Alliance, the Ministers planned new joint actions for the two governments, starting with the economic, defence, cultural and linguistic spheres. “There is enormous untapped potential in the political and commercial relations with Portugal. We have agreed to start with strategic and highly innovative sectors such as the blue economy, space, defence and energy to give new impetus to collaboration between the productive framework of our countries,” stated Minister Antonio Tajani. Portuguese Foreign Minister Rangel said: “This visit represents a great opportunity to relaunch relations between Italy and Portugal in various areas, primarily the economic and cultural ones”.
The two Ministers stressed the importance of working together to implement the EU’s Global Gateway, in synergy with the Mattei Plan for Africa and the Portuguese Cooperation Strategy. The current situation in Mozambique was also discussed, on which both countries stressed their commitment to peace and stability in the country.
Tajani and Rangel discussed the major common challenges on the international stage, starting with the latest developments in the Middle East and Ukraine. Minister Tajani, together with his Portuguese colleague, discussed the results of his recent missions in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. There has been common understanding about support for the ceasefire reached and the prospects for reconstruction, partly thanks to the Food for Gaza initiative. On Syria, it was agreed to act in harmony to strengthen the possibilities for stabilising a strategic area for the security of the entire Middle East, looking toward a careful but positive engagement with the new government authorities.
Within the EU, ministers agreed on the importance of boosting competitiveness and strengthening a common industrial strategy. Tajani and Rangel also discussed the prospects of transatlantic relations, with particular attention to possible developments in the matter of trade policy.
The Ministers then discussed the issue of cooperation in regard to migration, agreeing on the need to further develop cooperation agreements between the EU and countries of transit and origin and to ensure proper implementation of the new Pact on Migration and asylum, maintaining a balance between solidarity and responsibility and ensuring legal migration channels.
In the discussions, the full and constant support of Italy and Portugal to the Ukrainian people and the common commitment to achieving a just peace were reaffirmed. Rome and Lisbon fully share the need to strengthen the partnership with the African continent and Latin America, also thanks to the EU-Mercosur agreement.