Portugal - Visit by Mr Clément Beaune to Portugal (Lisbon, 25 and 26 November 2020)

Mr Clément Beaune, Minister of State for European Affairs, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will travel to Lisbon on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 November for a working visit ahead of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will begin on 1 January 2021.

The Minister of State will meet with Ms Ana Paula Zacarias, the Portuguese Minister of State for European Affairs. They will discuss the priorities of the Portuguese presidency and the main challenges on the European agenda over the coming months: a social Europe – a strong focus of the Portuguese presidency – the ecological and digital transitions, respect for the rule of law, and the strengthening of European strategic independence, in particular in industry. The European response to the health crisis, the swift implementation of the recovery plan, the strengthening of the external borders and governance of the Schengen Area, the fight against terrorism and the priorities concerning the European Union’s external relations will also be addressed during this meeting.

Mr Clément Beaune will meet representatives of Portuguese civil society and the press. He will give a speech at the conference organized by the Portuguese Institute of International Relations and the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) on the topic of “Geopolitics of Europe and European Defense”(http://www.tepsa.eu/tepsa-portuguese-pre-presidency-conference-online-26-27-november-2020/).

This visit will be a new opportunity to recall the wealth of bilateral relations between France and Portugal, as demonstrated by the prospect of the Portugal-France cross-cultural season scheduled for 2022./.