President Awards State Decoration to Portuguese Parliamentary Speaker

Bratislava, 2 November (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini awarded the state decoration of the Order of the Double White Cross, Second Class, to Portuguese Parliamentary Speaker Jose Pedro Correia de Aguiar-Branco on Monday, praising his long-standing contribution to the development of friendly relations between Slovakia and Portugal, parliamentary diplomacy and European cooperation, TASR learnt from the President's Office's communications department on the same day. Aguiar-Branco became part of Slovakia's modern history at a time when the people of Czechoslovakia fought for freedom and democracy during the Velvet Revolution. In December 1989, he helped to organise a trip for a group of young Portuguese people to Prague. "Almost 37 years ago, you came to Czechoslovakia with 50,000 roses and a message that was immensely important to our people at the time: that we weren't alone in our fight for freedom. Today, Slovakia is returning this gesture of gratitude and respect. True friends are never forgotten, and solidarity shown at decisive moments in history remains in a nation's memory forever," stated Pellegrini. During the Velvet Revolution, Portuguese students showed through their actions that solidarity isn't an empty word, but a value that can be turned into concrete deeds, said the Slovak head of state. The students' gesture also served as a reminder that the desire for freedom, democracy and human dignity unites people regardless of borders or nationality. The state decoration is also an acknowledgment of Aguiar-Branco's long-standing involvement in public life and his contribution to parliamentary diplomacy, political dialogue and European cooperation. Pellegrini expressed appreciation for his engagement in developing friendly relations between Slovakia and Portugal, founded on shared democratic values and mutual trust. "Relations between countries aren't built solely by signing agreements and holding diplomatic meetings. Above all, they are built through trust, humanity and actions. Portugal stood by us when we were fighting for freedom. That makes me all the more grateful that we can today jointly develop the relations between our two free and democratic countries," said Pellegrini. The meeting with the Slovak head of state builds on both politicians' personal talks held in Lisbon in November 2025. It was therefore focused on further developing Slovak-Portuguese relations, opportunities for deepening mutual cooperation, and current European issues. jrg/df