Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has said that his government plans to reposition Kenya as the focal point for its expanding investments on the African continent.
President de Sousa stated in a media statement during a meeting with a Kenyan team headed by President Uhuru Kenyatta in Lisbon on Tuesday that Nairobi is the ideal location for the entry of Portuguese business interests in Africa.
According to the President of the Portuguese Republic, Nairobi is the ideal trading partner for southern European country due to Kenya’s stellar reputation on the international stage, including its membership in the UN Security Council, leadership of the East African Community, and role at the African Union.
Through a translator, President de Sousa declared, _”A nation that looks far into the future.”_
The Portuguese leader also spoke about Kenya’s credentials as a guarantor of peace and stability on the African continent, describing the country as a mediator and arbiter whose _”role in regional and world peace cannot be overlooked”._
He said Kenya and Portugal are enjoying a growing friendship fuelled largely by their shared history of being _“platforms for contact between different civilizations and cultures”.
Prior to the start of his two-day state visit to the Portuguese Republic, President Kenyatta was formally welcomed by his host, President de Sousa.
He was welcomed in a grand military ceremony that featured a Guard of Honor and a Gun Salute by the Forças Armada at the renowned Jerónimos Monastery in the heart of Lisbon (The Portuguese Armed Forces).
President Kenyatta spent a lot of time touring Jerónimos Monastery, a colossal example of Portuguese architecture from the 16th century that is now recognized as a world heritage site and where the graves of illustrious Portuguese figures like poet Lus de Cames and explorer Vasco da Gama are located.
Following the elaborate welcome ceremony, President Kenyatta traveled a short distance in a vehicle while being accompanied by a ceremonial troop of horse riders to the to the nearby Belém Palace, the official residence of the Portuguese President, where the two leaders held their talks and addressed the media.
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