EU presidency may lead to summit with Africa – president
Portugal's president said that the Portuguese presidency of the European Union will be a key driver of relations with Africa.
Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, on Thursday said that the Portuguese presidency of the European Union, in the first half of 2021, will be a key driver of relations with Africa, and could culminate in a summit.
De Sousa was speaking in Lisbon’s Belém Palace, at the end of a meeting with the president of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who is in Portugal on an official visit.
“Portugal will preside over the European Council of the European Union from 1 January next year, and relations between Europe and Africa will once again have a fundamental driving force in Portugal and could culminate in a summit between the two continents, and particularly involving the European Union and the African Union,” the president said.
Standing beside Embaló, the Portuguese president also referred to the possibility of Guinea-Bissau assuming the presidency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“We appreciate the communication made by you regarding a possible presidency of ECOWAS by Guinea-Bissau, a pretence, a candidacy that, of course, we follow with great interest,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
