Foreign relations of Portugal

Foreign relations of Portugal are linked with its historical role as a major player in the Age of Discovery and the holder of the now defunct Portuguese Empire. Portugal is an European Union member state and a founding member of NATO. The country could be defined as a committed proponent of European integration and transatlantic relations. Notable modern day successes include the role it played in achieving the independence of its former colony of East-Timor as well as several fruitful Presidencies of the European Union.

Historical

Historically the focus of Portuguese diplomacy has been to preserve its independence "vis-à-vis" the danger of annexation by Spain and the maintenance of the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance which officially came into being in 1386 and, with the United Kingdom as a successor to England, which is still in place today.

Other goals have also been constant such as the political stability of the Iberian peninsula and the affirmation of Portuguese interests in Europe and the Atlantic (also in the Indian and Pacific oceans throughout different moments in history).

Portugal was a founding member of NATO (1949), OECD (1961) and EFTA (1960); it left the latter in 1986 to join the European Economic Community, that would become the European Union in 1993. In 1996 it co-founded the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). The country is a member state of the United Nations since 1955.

Portuguese links to France have also remained very strong and the country is considered one of Portugal's main political partners.

Recently the primacy of the USA and inter-governmental organizations such as NATO and the UN have also been paramount in the affirmation of Portugal abroad.

Portugal also holds claim to the disputed territory of Olivença in the Portuguese-Spanish border.

Focus

Portugal has been a significant beneficiary of the European Union and is a proponent of European integration. Portugal held the presidency of the European Union for the second time during the first half of 2000. Portugal used its term to launch a dialogue between the EU and Africa and to begin to take steps to make the European economy dynamic and competitive. In 2002, the Euro began to circulate as Portugal's currency. José Sócrates as Prime Minister of Portugal, presided over the rotative Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the period July-December 2007. [http://www.eu2007.pt/UE/vEN/] In this post, Sócrates and his team focused on the EU-Brazil (1st EU-Brazil summit) and EU-African Union (2007 Africa-EU Summit) relations, as well as in the approval of the Treaty of Lisbon.

Portugal was a founding member of NATO; it is an active member of the alliance by, for example, contributing proportionally large contingents in Balkans peacekeeping forces. Portugal proposed the creation of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) to improve its ties with other Portuguese-speaking countries. Additionally, Portugal has participated, along with Spain, in a series of Ibero-American summits. Portugal was a strong advocate of independence for East Timor, a former Portuguese overseas province, and has committed troops and money to East Timor, in close cooperation with the United States, Asian allies, and the United Nations.

Portugal held the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for the year 2002. The chairman-in-office was Portuguese Foreign Minister Antonio Martins da Cruz.

ee also

* Portugal
* Diplomatic missions of Portugal
* List of diplomatic missions in Portugal