Portuguese PM welcomes Pompeo to discuss Portuguese-American relations
Prime minister António Costa welcomed the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, in a meeting that analysed bilateral relations between both countries.
Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, on Thursday welcomed the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, in São Bento (the PM’s official residence), Lisbon, in a meeting that analysed bilateral relations between Portugal and the US.
The 50-minute meeting between António Costa and Mike Pompeo was also attended by the minister of state and foreign affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, who complimented the Ambassador of the US in Portugal, George Glass.
“He is the best diplomat in the US,” he said, with the US Secretary of State agreeing, pointing out that George Glass has already been won awards for his diplomatic work.
“This helps our good relations,” Mike Pompeo said, who is set to go to Morocco later on Thursday after a press conference at the ministry of foreign affairs.
António Costa had been with Mike Pompeo on Wednesday during the NATO summit in London, a meeting that the PM said had contributed to the reaffirmation of unity within the organisation.
“It was shown that, in the case of some more mediatic phrase that one or other had produced outside this framework of debate, the meeting contradicted this,” António Costa said, adding that the alleged death of NATO was uncalled for.
The London summit was characterised by a frank, calm and serene debate, where it was very clear the goal of all to reaffirm unity, to be clear that the effort of European cooperation in defence matters does not mean any division of NATO but, on the contrary, a strengthening of the European pillar of NATO”.
According to António Costa, the summit was significantly different from last year’s, and the relationship between everyone was restored to normal, with great cordiality, great frankness and great constructive spirit.
