The President of the Assembly of the Republic considered on Tuesday “normal” the dissatisfied reaction of some parliamentary delegations to the speech of the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, taking into account the lack of unanimity in the international community.
Augusto Santos Silva spoke to the press after two days in Luanda to attend the 147th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIP), where he held meetings with several delegations from other Portuguese-speaking countries, with his Angolan counterpart, Carolina Cerqueira, Foreign Minister Tete António and the President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço.
Deputy Duarte Pacheco (PSD), acting president of the PIO and now finishing his term, spoke on Monday at the opening of the meeting, speaking on the topic of conflicts, which was not well received by representatives of some delegations, such as Palestine and Iran, who expressed dissatisfaction with this approach and They shouted “shame” in English.
According to sources contacted by Lusa, some parliamentarians considered the speech biased because it did not address “Israeli crimes against civilians, in particular children.”
For Santos Silva, this divergence is “normal,” stressing that both Duarte Pacheco and the Angolan president have expressed “very consensual” positions on the topic, “but neither is unanimous in the international community.”
“It is natural that speeches like those of the President of the IPU, which were not empty, in which the position on various topics was expressed, would cause applause from some and a certain reaction from others,” he emphasized, adding that Portugal’s position on the issue is “very clear” , condemning the Hamas attack and saying Israel has the right to defend itself under international humanitarian law.
He added that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be resolved through political dialogue, compliance with UN resolutions and the creation of two states – Israel and Palestine – living side by side.
“This position is very clear, but it is obviously not unanimous in the international community, and it is natural that in the assembly, which unites 179 delegations, there are those who do not like this position,” he emphasized.
The President of the Assembly of the Republic praised the participation in the UIP with “two very intense and very rewarding days for the soul” thanks to the “affection and friendly relations with the Portuguese-speaking African countries.”
He emphasized the importance that Portugal attaches to the fact that for the first time the IPU is taking place in a Portuguese-speaking African country, and noted that this is an appropriate space for inter-parliamentary cooperation “at a time when tensions, conflicts and hostilities in the world are manifest.”
Regarding the specificity of parliamentary activity, he emphasized the fact that it adds the participation of different parties in foreign policy, pointing out that in the case of Portugal, the two parties that alternately come to power have very close positions.
Santos Silva concludes his visit to Angola on Tuesday with a meeting at the Portuguese Embassy with the community living in Luanda.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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