Lisbon, July 25, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese prime minister on Friday thanked the Angolan community for its “invaluable contribution” to the Portuguese economy and pledged to “continue to create preferential conditions” for its “full integration” into the country.
Luís Montenegro was speaking at the Palácio das Necessidades in Lisbon, alongside Angolan President João Lourenço, who today began an official visit to Portugal.
“On behalf of the Portuguese Government, I would like to thank the Angolan community for its invaluable contribution to Portugal’s economic fabric,” he said.
On the other hand, the prime minister made a commitment on behalf of the executive to “continue to create preferential conditions for Angolan citizens to integrate” into the labour market, as well as their “full integration” into Portuguese society.
The Angolan president began an official visit to Portugal today, at a time when changes are being made to the legal regime governing the entry of foreigners in Portugal - which the country's president submitted to the Constitutional Court on Thursday - and to the nationality law, promoted by the PSD/CDS-PP government headed by Luís Montenegro, which affect citizens of the Portuguese Language Countries Community (CPLP).
In his speech, the prime minister repeated expressions he had used about a year ago during his official visit to Angola, emphasising that the two countries have ‘an umbilical relationship’, ‘at all times’, and that they "never fail" each other.
"And this spirit is also very present in the respective communities: the Angolan community living in Portugal, which collaborates in Portugal for the economic and social development of our country, and also the Portuguese community living in Angola, which reciprocally fulfils the same mission," he stressed.
Montenegro highlighted the 11 cooperation instruments signed today between the two countries in areas such as transport, security and the Portuguese language, which join the 12 signed a year ago when he was in Luanda, stressing that these "are already being implemented".
The prime minister also noted the importance of this visit taking place in the year that marks the 50th anniversary of Angola's independence and expressed his intention to continue "a shared path" with this country.
“More than partners, I am inclined to say today that we are in fact brother countries, and that makes all the difference. The fact that we have such a close, fraternal, but solid day-to-day relationship based on mutual trust means that we are not only ready at all times, but always ready to take care of our future,” he said.
The prime minister wished João Lourenço “continued excellent work at the helm of Angola” and congratulated him on his achievements in the international arena, at a time when he is also assuming the presidency of the African Union.
“I have met President João Lourenço on multiple occasions. This is the third time we have met in less than a month," he said.
João Lourenço arrived in Lisbon late Thursday afternoon and met this morning with the Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, before heading to the prime minister's official residence, where he had a meeting with Luís Montenegro, followed by a working lunch.
In the early afternoon, the two met with Portuguese business leaders at the Necessidades Palace, before signing 11 bilateral cooperation agreements and making a statement to the press, without taking questions from the media.
SMA/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
