Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in Mumbai. (PTI)
“India has the full support of Portugal to become a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations,” Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Saturday at an event in Goa. “We shall have India at the highest level (at) the next meeting of the so called ocean conference in June in Portugal.”
Speaking at a seminar on urban design organised by the state-run Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited, Sousa said, “There is an empathy between our two PMs and also an empathy between our two presidents… my long meeting with Modi was very fruitful bilaterally and multilaterally and we discussed concrete projects for investment — Portuguese investment in India and Indian investment in Portugal,” he said.
“…A little bit how proud I am, of the cultural heritage we left in Goa… As much I am proud of the cultural heritage India has left on my culture, the Portuguese culture, on my history, the Portuguese history, on the survival of my nation, because we are what we are because we had at that point differences,” Sousa said, pointing to the nature of ties after India’s armed annexation of Goa.
A series of MoUs with state and central government agencies were also signed in several sectors such as defence, industry, water and sewage management earlier at a formal ceremony.