On his first day of an official visit to China, Luís Montenegro made these remarks at the start of his meeting with Xi Jinping, during which journalists were only allowed to record the opening three minutes.
“On behalf of the Government of Portugal, I must say to Mr. President that we very much count on your contribution and on the close relationship that China maintains with the Russian Federation, so that we may, as soon as possible, build a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” he said.
Moments later, the press was asked to leave the room.
Earlier, Montenegro underlined that, in the international context, Portugal and China have “on many occasions maintained a basis of cooperation and shared values.”
“China plays a fundamental role in the global and international context, it is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and we hope for your contribution so that we can build bridges between peoples, bring closer those who are in conflict, promote peace, promote multilateralism, and promote respect for human rights,” he added.
