Luxembourg, Portugal's Foreign Ministers Advocate Coordinated EU Approach to COVID-19 Crisis

At the invitation of his Portuguese counterpart, Augusto Santos Silva, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, paid a working visit to Lisbon on Tuesday 20 October 2020.

During his visit, Minister Jean Asselborn met with Portugal's Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva and the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Ana Paula Zacarias, for a bilateral interview and a working meeting, followed by a press conference.

The visit was an opportunity for Minister Jean Asselborn and his Portuguese counterpart to take stock of bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Portugal. In this context, Minister Asselborn praised the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries: "Our excellent relations are marked by great cordiality and the large community of Portuguese origin in Luxembourg gives a particular quality to this relationship. The contribution of Portuguese citizens to the economic, social and cultural development of Luxembourg is enormous". He added that “Luxembourg would not be the country it is without the essential contribution of Portuguese immigrants”.

In the presence of the Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities, Berta Nunes, the ministers addressed the main subjects related to the Portuguese community in Luxembourg and welcomed the efforts undertaken bilaterally to guarantee the best possible integration of Portuguese nationals in the Grand Duchy, while also addressing the challenges that remain to be met in the future.

The preparation of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will begin on 1 January 2021, was also on the agenda of this meeting. Minister Jean Asselborn's exchange with Minister Augusto Santos Silva and State Secretary Ana Paula Zacarias on the priorities of the next Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU confirmed the broad convergence of views that exist between the two countries on major European issues, including the promotion of the rule of law, solidarity in the field of migration, the defence of multilateralism and the strengthening of the social dimension and the ecological transition.

The ministers notably insisted on the importance of showing solidarity in times of crisis and of strengthening the internal cohesion of the EU by going back to the fundamental principles which are at the origin of European construction, whether in the context of the implementation of the recovery plan or in the promotion of the rule of law within the EU.

Regarding the EU's response to the COVID-19 crisis, the ministers stressed the importance of a coordinated approach at European level, which would make it possible in particular to work towards European solutions rather than uncoordinated national measures. In this regard, Minister Jean Asselborn recalled Luxembourg's attachment to respect for the fundamental right of free movement within the EU.

The meeting also allowed Luxembourg and Portugal's Foreign Ministers to exchange views on several topical international subjects and to discuss cooperation between the two countries within the various multilateral forums.