Asked about the statements he made before the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, when he received greetings from the Government, at the Palace of Belém, the President clarified what he meant by “institutional solidarity is not enough” and that “it is essential to have strategic cooperation at present”.
The President of the Republic denied, this Thursday, that his statements on Wednesday about the relationship with the government constituted a request, countering that there is already “total cooperation in strategic terms” from both parties.
“I didn’t ask, no. No, no, I didn’t say I wanted to, no. I said that it already existed and that it was fundamental and that for me it was a point that was fundamental at this moment, there was. And from the President’s side, from the Government’s side there is a total cooperation in strategic terms”, declared Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in the city of Praia.
The head of state spoke to journalists during a walking tour with the Cape Verdean President, José Maria Neves, before participating in a session as part of the celebrations of Cape Verde’s 50th anniversary of independence.
On this occasion, he was asked about the statements he made on Wednesday before the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, when he received happy holidays greetings from the Government, at the Belém Palace, arguing that “institutional solidarity is not enough” and that “it is It is essential to have strategic cooperation at present”.
When asked if he did not make these statements because he considered that there is not enough strategic cooperation with the PSD/CDS-PP executive, the head of state replied: “No, no”.
“What I said is that it is more reinforced today because of the international situation and because of the issues we have to face in the world and in Europe. But cooperation is already more reinforced at this moment”, he added.
Regarding the session he will participate in today, a ceremony paying homage to the signatories of the Lisbon Agreement for the transfer of sovereignty to Cape Verde, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that “it is very important”, because it was “the beginning of a process in terms legal.”
This document, signed on December 19, 1974 between the Portuguese Government and the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIG), established the “fixation, by agreement, of the scheme and calendar of the decolonization process of the territory of State of Cape Verde”.
The President of the Republic was also asked about the situation in Mozambique following the October elections, which he refused to comment on, being in Cape Verde: “We are waiting for the process, the clarification of the process. We will see.”
