Lisboñ, Aug. 15, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs repudiated on Friday the expulsion of the Lusa agency, RTP and RDP from Guinea-Bissau, which it labelled "highly reprehensible and unjustifiable", and will ask the Guinean government for explanations.

Given the "seriousness of this measure", the Minister for Foreign Affairs "immediately summoned" the Guinea-Bissau ambassador to Lisbon to give "explanations and clarifications", a meeting that is scheduled for Saturday, reads a statement from the foreign ministry.

In the statement, the Portuguese government said that, "aware of the importance of the work of these media organisations for the populations of both countries and the Lusophone community in general, it will do everything it can to reverse this decision".

The government, he added, is monitoring "the situation with the administrations of Lusa, RTP and RDP".

The delegations of the Lusa agency, RTP and RDP have been expelled from Guinea-Bissau, their broadcasts suspended as of today, and the representatives must leave the country by Tuesday, at the decision of the Guinean government.

No reasons were given.

The government of Guinea-Bissau has decided to close down RTP Africa, RDP Africa and Agência Lusa with effect from today.

For the ministry led by Paulo Rangel, this decision by the Guinean government, "within the framework of bilateral relations", is "highly reprehensible and unjustifiable".

The foreign ministry ended the statement by saying that Portugal's "relations with Guinea-Bissau are and will continue to be a reflection of the deep friendship between the two peoples, and are a priority of Portuguese foreign policy", emphasising that the government's "actions are and will be strictly guided by respect for the sovereignty of both states and the aim of improving the high quality of reciprocal relations".

NS/ADB // ADB.

Lusa