The Supreme Council of National Defense analyzed this Friday “Portugal support for Ukraine” and gave a positive opinion on “small adjustments” to the National Forces Detachment, the President of the Republic said.
This information is contained in a note published on the official website of the President of the Republic on the Internet after the meeting of this collegial advisory body held this Friday, at the next meeting, which is scheduled to start at 14:30.
The note says that the Supreme Council of National Defense, which met under the chairmanship of the head of state Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, “analyzed Portugal’s support for Ukraine” and “unanimously gave a positive opinion on minor adjustments in the National Armed Forces.” Highlights”, without providing further details.
In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, the Supreme Council of National Defense is a special collegiate body chaired by the President of the Republic for consultations on matters relating to national defense and the organization, functioning and discipline of the armed forces.
This body includes the prime minister, the ministers of state and national defense, foreign affairs, internal affairs, finance, as well as persons responsible for the fields of industry, energy, transport and communications, the chief of staff of the armed forces and the leaders of the Navy, army and aviation.
The Supreme Council of National Defense also includes representatives of the Republic and the chairmen of the governments of the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, the chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Assembly of the Republic and two other deputies elected to this body by a two-thirds majority.
According to the official website of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (EMGFA), Portugal currently has 24 active missions abroad, involving 1,169 troops, 93 assets, in a total of 12 countries.
Regarding support for Ukraine, at a ceremony at the National Institute of Defense (IDN) in Lisbon, Minister of National Defense Helena Carreiras said that “to date, the defense has coordinated the delivery of more than 712 tons of materials to Ukraine. , mostly military materials,” adding that “an estimated 270 tons of additional materials, including ammunition and vehicles, are still to be sent, for a total of more than 950 tons.”
On the day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, February 24, 2022, the Supreme National Defense Council met urgently and unanimously approved the possible participation of the Portuguese military forces in the NATO Readiness Force and the expectation of sending Portuguese soldiers to Romania.
The plan for the deployment of national forces for 2022 already provided for the dispatch of a contingent of Portuguese soldiers to Romania in the second half of the same year, as happened in 2021, but the departure was postponed due to the war between Ukraine and Russia. .
On April 15 last year, the 1st separate national detachment, consisting of 222 Portuguese soldiers, went to Romania.
On May 19, Prime Minister António Costa visited and spoke with 222 Portuguese soldiers at the Caracal military base.
On December 20, the President of the Republic and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces visited the same base in Romania, where he visited 212 Portuguese soldiers of the 2nd National Detachment integrated into the NATO mission in this country bordering Ukraine.
Currently, according to the EMGFA, Portugal has 235 troops in Romania as part of NATO’s “Heightened Vigilance” which aims to participate in exercises and training activities “with similar units to deepen the Atlantic Alliance’s ties to the conflict. in Eastern Europe to build the cohesion and resolve of Allies and increase the readiness of NATO”.
It also has four other soldiers in another NATO mission, the Individual Forward Presence, also in Romania, which aims to help “deter and protect the Alliance on its southeastern flank, more directly for the benefit of the Allies located in that geographic space.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Tifany Hawkins, a professional journalist with years of experience in news reporting. I currently work for a prominent news website and write articles for 24NewsReporters as an author. My primary focus is on economy-related stories, though I am also experienced in several other areas of journalism.