The President of the Republic today reaffirmed Portugal’s “full commitment” to NATO, assuring that the country will implement Alliance resolutions “where and when necessary”, without “states of mind and excuses”.
“On behalf of the Portuguese people, I reaffirm the full commitment of Portugal as a member of NATO, as a founding member of NATO, wherever and whenever necessary,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa from Air Force Command Monsanto (Lisbon) in a speech in English as part of a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the NATO Joint Analysis and Lessons Learning Center (JALLC) based at the complex.
At this ceremony, which was also attended by Minister of National Defense Elena Carreiras, the head of state assured that Portugal was fulfilling its obligations to provide assistance to the “courageous Ukrainian people”, as well as “in the Baltic countries, in Romania, in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Mediterranean Sea , in improving information, in actions to prevent cyberattacks, in geostrategic analysis.”
“We were, are and always will be ready to fulfill [os compromissos da NATO]without mood and excuses, at the limit of our capabilities,” repeated Marcelo Rebelo de Souza.
The President of the Republic stressed that it was thanks to this commitment that Portugal became “one of the last, if not the last [país] — to leave Afghanistan,” recalling that he himself was “the last head of state to visit Kabul, even before the start of the pandemic, at the end of 2019.”
“We remain ready and resilient with our soldiers on the most difficult battlefields on all continents, but above all in Europe,” he stressed.
Referring to the 20th anniversary of JALLC, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza called it “20 years of success” and “working for peace, freedom, human rights and democracy”.
“These 20 years are marked during a war in Europe, not just a European war, but a global one, because global values are at stake, because international law – which was violated by the Russian Federation in Ukraine – is global in nature,” he stressed. he.
Thus, the President pointed out that “it is for this reason that in recent decades, more than ever,” NATO has become “much more than an alliance of states or an alliance of peoples.”
“NATO is the most important guarantee of peace, security and respect for the Charter of Nations, [é uma garantia] freedom and human dignity,” he said.
Just before the unveiling of the plaque next to the olive tree to commemorate the 20th anniversary of JALLC, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa emphasized that this plaque “displays the life of JALLC, but also symbolizes the last 20 years of peace and friendship between the countries of the Alliance.”
“This is a difficult period and the challenges are huge. However, I believe in peace and friendship, I believe that our values are enduring and that the Alliance, like an olive tree, will always stand and prosper,” he said.
Addressing the Supreme Commander of the NATO Joint Transformation Command, General Philippe Lavigne, who was present at the ceremony, Marcelo Rebel de Sousa wished him “welcome” to Portugal.
“You are in a safe, friendly and warm country that shares the values that distinguish democracy from dictatorship, freedom from oppression, peace from war,” he said.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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