Portugal’s New PM visits Madrid, Middle East high on agenda

Lisbon: The visit to Madrid by Portugal’s new Prime Minister Luís Montenegro on Monday reflects the importance he attaches to relations between Portugal and Spain but will feature Middle Eastern issues high on the agenda.

The trip to Madrid will be the head of the government’s first official visit, as a source from Montenegro’s office told Euractiv’s partner, Lusa, adding that this decision shows “the importance that the prime minister attaches to the historical relationship and cooperation between the two countries.”

According to the same Portuguese government source, this meeting will prepare the next Portuguese-Spanish summit. Portugal and Spain hold Iberian summits yearly, but there is still no date for the 2024 summit.

The meeting in Madrid will also serve to “strengthen the position of the two countries about the European Union,” the same source told Lusa.

For its part, the Spanish government has only said that among the issues Sánchez intends to discuss with Montenegro are the situation in the Middle East and the recognition of the Palestinian state.

Sánchez pledged to recognise Palestine as a state in the first half of this year, arguing that this is necessary to start a peace process in the Middle East.

Montenegro, meanwhile, told parliament on Friday that he favoured the two-state solution (Israel and Palestine). However, the Portuguese government “does not have the same position” as Sánchez.

Regarding recognising Palestine as a full UN member, Montenegro said it supported the Palestinian claim, as did Spain.

He also said that the Portuguese government was in favour of “an immediate ceasefire that would allow humanitarian aid and respect for all international law and that could lead to negotiations for a lasting peace”.

Sánchez publicly congratulated Luís Montenegro on 5 April, days after the new prime minister took office, and said the two countries would continue to work together as “strategic partners and allies”.