President Klaus Iohannis is paying a state visit to Portugal, from 6 to 9 October, at the invitation of his counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Presidential Administration informed.
The visit to Portugal will begin with Iohannis participating as a special guest in an anniversary meeting of the Arraiolos Group, hosted by the Portuguese president, on October 6 in Porto. The meeting marks the 20th anniversary of this informal platform for presidential consultations among 16 member states of the European Union.
Also attending the meeting will be the presidents of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, Slovenia, Natasa Pirc Musar, Estonia, Alar Karis, Finland, Sauli Niinisto, Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Hungary, Novak Katalin, Ireland, Michael Higgins, Italy, Sergio Mattarella, Latvia, Edgars Rinkevics, Malta, George Vella, and Poland, Andrzej Duda, agerpres reports.
President Iohannis will deliver a keynote speech on the European Union's challenges amidst Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the necessary measures to continue multidimensional support for Ukraine and securing the unity of European and Euro-Atlantic positions in approaching the security effects of the war.
On Saturday, Klaus Iohannis will be welcomed by his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in Lisbon.
"The state visit of president Klaus Iohannis to Portugal takes place amidst an intense bilateral dialogue, following the visit of president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to Romania in December 2022. There is close bilateral coordination between the two countries, within the European Union and of NATO, that has intensified amid the war in Ukraine. Defence is one of the key-components of the bilateral co-operation, designed to strengthen the allied defence on the eastern flank of NATO. One result of this co-operation is Portugal having deployed a contingent of land forces with the multinational NATO brigade in southern Caracal, Romania."
The agenda of the political consultations between the two presidents will comprise, in addition to the intensification of defence co-operation, political and diplomatic and sectoral collaboration, with emphasis on the intensification of energy trade and investment, digital transformation, healthcare, education and culture.
Also, the Romanian community and its contribution to the development of the Portuguese society will be addressed.
Part of his visit, presint Klaus Iohannis will meet Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa, president of the Portuguese Parliament Augusto Santos Silva, and Portuguese lawmakers. He will also call on the Palace of the Lisbon Municipality to meet local mayor Carlos Moedas.
Moreover, bilateral documents will be signed in the areas of energy trade and investment