Portugal’s Foreign Minister, Paulo Rangel, expressed Thursday that the upcoming visit of Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, is an “honor” for the country and a gesture that “they will never forget.”
This first official visit abroad by Princess Leonor is seen as a sign of the “affection” Spain feels for Portugal.
“The signal that the Kingdom of Spain gives to Portugal is a signal that we will never be able to forget, which is precisely this attention – and I am going to use a word that is not very diplomatic and political – this affection, so to speak, for Portugal. Therefore, this is experienced in a very emotional way by the Portuguese,” said the minister in an interview with EFE after an event in Lisbon.
The head of Portuguese diplomacy described Spain as a “fundamental partner” and stressed that Princess Leonor’s visit, scheduled for July 12, is a true “honor” that reflects the strong relationship between the two nations.
“The first official visit of an heir to the Spanish Crown is to Portugal and that means that these are relations of friendship, of fraternity, because we are brotherly peoples, so strong,” stressed Rangel, of the government of conservative Luís Montenegro.
Princess Leonor’s visit to Lisbon
Although Rangel did not advance specific details on the organization of the visit, he explained that this matter depends on the Presidency of the Republic, headed by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Leonor de Borbón will be making her first official trip abroad at the age of 18. In contrast, her father, King Felipe VI, made his first official visit to Colombia at the age of 15, in June 1983, when King Juan Carlos I delegated him the task of attending the 450th anniversary of the city of Cartagena de Indias, an event that brought together several Ibero-American leaders.
Princess Leonor’s trip to Portugal, where she will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, will focus on Lisbon and will begin with an official welcome by President Rebelo de Sousa at the Belém Palace.
The program of the visit will include important issues for both countries, such as environmental protection and ocean conservation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.