Washington, D.C.—Speaker Nancy Pelosi released this statement after meetings with the leaders of the government of Portugal, President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo De Sousa, President of the Assembly of the Republic Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues and Prime Minster António Costa:

 

“Today in Lisbon, I joined a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly led by its President, Congressman Gerry Connolly.  I was honored to receive the inaugural NATO PA Women For Peace and Security Award, to deliver an address focused on security, economy and governance, and to hear the strong presentation of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on the present and future of the alliance.

 

“Following the NATO discussions, I had constructive meetings with the President of the Republic of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo De Sousa, President of the Assembly of the Republic Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues and Prime Minster António Costa.

 

“In our meetings, I extended the continued appreciation of the United States for Portugal’s valued partnership as a founding member of the NATO alliance, and for Portugal’s participation in Afghanistan, including the evacuation.  Particularly as we all focus on data security, I raised the significant concern of increasing cyber threats from autocratic governments and other nefarious actors.  In this and other areas, we discussed deepening U.S.-Portugal economic ties.

 

“Portugal’s COVID vaccination campaign has been an outstanding success with over 85 percent of the nation vaccinated, and I congratulated them on their leadership to crush the virus.  We are especially grateful for Portugal’s leadership on the climate crisis, looking ahead to the COP26 climate summit, and particularly their vital attention to the oceans where they bring special expertise. 

 

“In our meetings, we took pride in the valuable contribution which Portuguese-Americans make to America and to the U.S.-Portugal relationship.”

 

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