“This is not just a vague term, an expression; it is a commitment to further our cooperation at the cultural and economic levels, and in developing new areas of relationship,” Montenegro said at the end of a working meeting with outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, on the first day of his official visit to Japan.
The head of government highlighted security and defense, new technologies, energy, and the sharing of scientific knowledge between educational institutions among the areas to be developed for the future in the bilateral relationship.
“This strategic partnership illustrates a common desire to work together, to converge, and to treat our political, economic, and cultural relationship with a positive and efficient purpose, and consequently,” he said.
At the beginning of the meeting, Montenegro had already thanked Prime Minister Ishiba for the words of solidarity he expressed to Portugal regarding the August fires and the recent accident with the Elevador da Glória, which caused 16 deaths.
Montenegro was received at Kantei, the official residence of the Japanese Prime Minister, Montenegro emphasized the 480-year relationship between the two countries, considering his two-day visit to Japan “a demonstration of friendship and an opportunity.”
On the political front, the Prime Minister stated that the joint declaration establishing the strategic partnership will mean “greater regularity” in meetings between the two countries, noting that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, and the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, met with their counterparts on Thursday.
On the economic front, the Prime Minister highlighted that there are more than a thousand Portuguese companies active in the Japanese market, in areas as diverse as agriculture, industry, pharmaceuticals, and energy—areas to which the strategic partnership will add others such as civil protection and security and defense.
“We also want to preserve what has been a shared cultural and linguistic heritage. I emphasize the fact that many Japanese people are learning Portuguese, and that Japanese is also taught in Portugal,” he said.
Montenegro also highlighted the Osaka exhibition, which he will visit on Friday, as “a perfect testament to this dimension of political, cultural, and economic cooperation” and praised the event’s success, noting that the Portuguese Pavilion alone “has already been visited by more than 1.4 million citizens.”
On the international stage, he emphasized that there is “a very strong convergence” of positions with Japan, taking the opportunity to reiterate Russia’s condemnation of “the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” without referring, however, to Poland’s recent accusation of Russian drone incursions into its airspace.
Speaking to the Japanese Prime Minister, Montenegro also condemned North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
“I am absolutely convinced that this visit will signify a new phase in our relationship, the beginning of a strategic partnership that is truly a new stage, aimed at bringing greater well-being and development to our countries,” he emphasized.
Earlier, the Japanese Prime Minister, who is resigning following his defeat in the July legislative elections, considered cooperation between the two countries “more important than ever” given the “challenging security environment” in the world.
Ishiba noted that approximately 120 Japanese companies operate in Portugal and that “business cooperation in the field of renewable energy and infrastructure continues to grow.”
“We hope for even greater development of trade and investment relations between the two countries,” he said, also expressing interest in “contributing to the economic and social development of Portuguese-speaking countries.”
AloJapan.com