LosHechos

The President of the Republic of Mozambique, Daniel Francisco Chapo, attended the inauguration of his new Portuguese counterpart, António José Seguro. The Mozambican statesman marked a new phase of dynamism in political, commercial and social cooperation, highlighting the importance of mutual presence in strengthening the well-being of the two brotherly peoples.

The Mozambican participation in the event was described by the Head of State as a fundamental step in diplomacy between the two nations, stressing that it is ‘extremely important to evaluate the historical relations of friendship and cooperation’.

During the meeting with the Portuguese leader, President Daniel Chapo offered his direct congratulations, expressing optimism about the future of institutional relations. The statesman expressed his ‘conviction that his term of office will contribute to the continued strengthening of relations of cooperation, friendship, solidarity and fraternity between Mozambique and Portugal, for the benefit of the well-being of their respective peoples’, emphasising the ties that unite Mozambicans and Portuguese.

During the talks, the current cooperation mechanisms were reviewed, with a special focus on the common heritage.
The Mozambican President highlighted the strength of historical ties which, in his words, "are historical ties of brotherhood, based on language, culture and familiarity between the Mozambican and Portuguese peoples
," serving as a basis for deepening collaboration in the political, social and commercial spheres.

He also emphasised Mozambique's desire to attract more investment, encouraging partnerships that transcend the governmental sphere. The President of the Republic of Mozambique reinforced the importance of ‘increasingly boosting economic, social, political and commercial relations and investment, above all, and business partnerships between the two countries, between our public sectors, but also between our private sectors’.

For the Mozambican Head of Government, Portugal remains one of the main foreign investors, a role that the country intends to see reinforced through already known financial instruments. This is the case of the €500 million credit line opened last December, on which he stated that ‘the two teams, therefore, on the part of Portugal and Mozambique, are working to materialise and make this line viable and, from what we are seeing, we are on the right track so far’.

The statesman believes that if the level of implementation and payment of this mechanism is positive in the coming years, there are ‘possibilities for this line to continue to grow in terms of value’, serving as a driver for both the public and private sectors. ‘We are convinced that strengthening these partnerships is a fundamental tool for boosting Mozambique's economic and social growth,’ explained President Chapo, reiterating the goal of strengthening business relations.

One of the highlights of the meeting was the announcement of mutual interest in visits to Mozambique by the Portuguese leadership. The Mozambican Head of State revealed that ‘we have received expressions of interest in visiting Mozambique not only from the recently elected President Seguro, but also from Prime Minister Montenegro,’ with the specific dates to be determined through diplomatic channels.

President Daniel Chapo concluded his speech by emphasising that the ultimate goal of this excellent cooperation is singular: ‘to continue working together to grow our two countries and create better living conditions for both the Mozambican and Portuguese people, which is the main objective of both governments’.

This vision for the future points to a definitive consolidation of the ties that define the strategic partnership between Maputo and Lisbon.