President Leaves for State Visit to Portugal

Bratislava, 25 November (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini left for a state visit to Portugal on Tuesday afternoon. Pellegrini will be received by his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Parliament Speaker Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco in Lisbon on Wednesday (26 November). The president will be accompanied on the trip by Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) and a delegation of Slovak business organisations. This is the first time in 20 years that a Slovak president has paid a state visit to Portugal. The visit represents a continuation of the intensive dialogue between the two countries, which includes cooperation within the EU and NATO, as well as within economic and innovation partnerships. Rebelo de Sousa visited Slovakia last December. On Wednesday, Pellegrini will receive a Portuguese state decoration of the highest class, the Order of Prince Henry - Grand Chain of Prince Henry - at the Belem Presidential Palace. He'll also award his Portuguese counterpart a state decoration, the Order of the White Double Cross, 1st Class, Civil Order. "By exchanging state awards, the heads of state will symbolically confirm the exceptionally high-quality relations and long-term friendship and partnership between Slovakia and Portugal," stated the President's Office. Following the bilateral talks, Pellegrini will continue his working agenda with meetings with Foreign Affairs Minister Paulo Rangel, Parliament Speaker Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco and Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas, who will present an 'Honorary Key of the City of Lisbon' to the Slovak president. The agenda of the visit also includes a Slovak-Portuguese Business Forum on Thursday (27 November) with both presidents in attendance. Representatives of Slovak and Portuguese companies and institutions will have the opportunity to discuss opportunities for further developing economic cooperation, to identify new partnerships and to present innovative solutions that Slovakia and Portugal can develop jointly. A memoranda of understanding on public procurement, health care and financial services will be signed. Pellegrini and Sasko will also visit the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon, a prestigious scientific and clinical centre specialising in research into and treatment of cancer. ko/df