Maputo, June 26, 2025 (Lusa) - The President of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, said on Thursday in Maputo that relations with Portugal "are extraordinary", after receiving his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and predicting that they will be further strengthened during his visit to Lisbon next week.
“I was just telling the president that next week we will be there [in Portugal] to continue our talks and thus further strengthen our relations of friendship and cooperation and begin to take concrete steps that can produce results for both countries,” said Daniel Chapo after receiving the Portuguese president, who is today ending a three-day visit to Maputo, at the presidency office.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa took part on Wednesday in the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of Mozambique’s independence - June 25, 1975 - and Daniel Chapo will be making a working visit to several European countries in the coming days, including Portugal on July 3.
“We are committed to the growth and economic development of Mozambique, and countries are like people, no one grows alone, no one develops alone.” We need our friends to be able to grow, neighbours and also other friendly and cooperative relationships. For this reason we believe economic and financial cooperation is extremely important, both for Portugal and for Mozambique, so that we can grow and create better living conditions for our peoples,” he added.
Daniel Chapo, the first Mozambican president born after independence, acknowledged the “excellent relations” between the two countries, describing them as “historic, friendly, cooperative, even fraternal, with ties of familiarity beyond those of language”.
“It is a privilege and a great honour for us to welcome the Portuguese head of state, the country’s president, here in Mozambique, in Maputo, and especially at this special moment, which marks 50 years of Mozambique’s independence,” Daniel Chapo said.
In his statements, after a 40 minute meeting with the Portuguese President, the Mozambican president gave a “very positive” assessment of the current situation.
“We have assessed our current relations of friendship and cooperation, which are extraordinary, and I would also like to take this opportunity to look to the future with a view to continuing to strengthen the relations of friendship and cooperation between Mozambique and Portugal, not only political relations, not only commercial relations, as you know, Portugal is one of Mozambique’s largest cooperation partners, but also economic and financial relations, so that we can continue to grow together,” he said.
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