"I came to have a look and thank the Portuguese Government for the support it gave to the Mercosur - European Union agreement, which is currently being analyzed by the European Council and the European Parliament," he added.

But "the big news" that the minister considers taking this visit is the fact that Portugal and Brazil "are strengthening" their ties.

“President Jair Bolsonaro's foreign policy did not start with me and will not end with me. As I said in my speech, foreign policy is a line of continuity, which is 200 years old, and which diplomats are responsible for updating each generation. In this update, Portugal is a priority for us”, said the head of Brazilian diplomacy.

Thanking “the honor of being received by the President of the Portuguese Republic”, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, on the first day of his stay in Portugal, said, however, that he had “great expectations” regarding the meeting he will have today, the last day of his visit, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva.

"We can strengthen our bilateral relations here and strengthen traditional action ties," he considered.

In addition to meetings with the President, with the Minister of the Environment, João Matos Fernandes, with the executive secretary of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, Francisco Ribeiro Telles, the Brazilian minister also had a meeting with Portuguese businessmen, to whom he spoke about the changes in the Brazilian economy, encouraging them to invest in their country “above all in the energy area”.

"There are two areas that are part of the environment agenda and the energy agenda, which are investment in green hydrogen, because Brazil is naturally adapted for that, and also in advanced biofuels, which can be used for aviation," he said.

In this sense, “Portugal, which is a key partner for Brazil in Europe and has been a great supporter of Brazilian positions. It is more than that, it has been a partner, not only in Portuguese investments there, but, for example, in the partnership with Embraer, a Brazilian company present in Évora, in the joint development of aircraft, which are a success”, he stressed.

Photo:Marcello Casal Jr/ABr