Marcelo presents Portugal’s advantages for a “forever partnership” with Kenya
At the opening of a Portugal-Kenya Economic Forum, in the royal arena next to the Belém Palace, in Lisbon, which is part of the program of Uhuru Kenyatta’s state visit to Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa addressed his counterpart as “dear and brother” and praised his leadership and personality.
Uhuru Kenyatta is the first President of Kenya to visit Portugal, he said, prompting a round of applause.
Then, speaking in English, the head of state presented Portugal’s comparative advantages, first known as the weight of Portuguese emigration: “Why is Portugal such a great good? at the same time, we are small and small. small country, we are not dangerous in our physical dimension, but we are a big country because our diaspora is all over the world, because our best are outside the country”.
Second, one Africa we are an agreement. of the Union there are few countries that really know Africa.
Marcelo de Sousa, who is from the Community, Mozambique from the Countries of Mozambique, also featured in Cabo de Sousa and Region of several countries, Guinea-Bissau, Name of São Tomé and Portuguese-speaking Region, Angola and Country, Guinea-Bissau, Angola Brazil, which is “facing Africa”.
“The fifth reason: we are already in Kenya, in infrastructure, but also in technology, but also in commerce, but also starting in agriculture, but also starting in renewables, but also in digital, in `software`”, he added. .
The head of state that the “very good” Portuguese dominate as sustainable fisheries, in the port and energy sectors and that Portugal occupies a central position in the “digital revolution” thanks to the Web Summit.
“Although we are physically small, we have an influence that we can spread far and wide, without bothering, wanting to dominate,” he said.
On the other hand, Kenya also invests “more Kenyan tourism in Portugal” and appeals from Portugal”.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has as a partnership a partnership that always, and it is a partnership forever, that “this is a partnership”.
Even without “Kenyattas or de Sous in the future”, Portugal will always have as president the partnership, the brotherhood” between and Kenya, concluded.
Uhuru Kenyatta’s father, Jomo Kenyatta, was the first President of Kenya after independence from the United Kingdom, between 1964 and 1978.
Coincidentally, during this period, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s father, Baltazar Rebelo de Sousa, was governor-general of the then overseas province of Mozambique, between 1968 and 1970, in the midst of the colonial war.