:: Consulate News ::

Portuguese Presidency of the European Union July 2007 to December 2007

The Presidency of the European Union is held by each Member State in turn for a period of six months. During this time, the Presidency is the "face and voice" of the European Union, speaking on behalf of all Member States. The order of rotation for the Presidency has been established for the period 2005 to 2020.

Tasks of the Presidency
Organizing and chairing all meetings of the European Council, the Council of the European Union and its preparatory committees and working groups.
Representing the Council in its dealings with other EU institutions and bodies, such as the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Representing the European Union in international organizations and relations with countries outside the European Union.
It is the Presidency's responsibility to prepare the Council's work as efficiently as possible and to deliver progress by drawing up compromise proposals and brokering agreement between the Member States.

On June 11th, Álvaro Mendonça e Moura, Portugal’s Permanent Representative to the European Union, set out the main priorities of the forthcoming presidency. For the next 6 months, the Portuguese Presidency will keep three main goals in focus:

1. Reinforcing the EU’s political underpinnings
▪ On the short term, the main challenge will be to reach a clear commitment from all 27 Members on the future of the EU Treaty at the June European Council.

2. Strengthening the EU’s economic integration.
▪ Portugal will dedicate specific attention to small and medium-sized enterprises in order to facilitate external trade.
▪ On the social agenda, it will launch a debate to look at ways to ensure the sustainability of the European Social Model.
▪ As far as the transport sector is concerned, priority will be given to maritime and aviation concerns, as well as the financing of the Galileo Project.
▪ On environment, Portugal will carefully prepare the December United Nations Conference on climate change in Bali.
▪ Energy will also be high on the agenda.
▪ Portugal will do its utmost to complete the enlargement of the Schengen area to the new Member States before 2009.
▪ Turning to the ’European Space for Freedom, Security and Justice’, the Portuguese Presidency will seek to improve police cooperation, and to launch a discussion on the rights of legal migrants in order to ensure better integration.

3. Reinforcing Europe’s role on the international scene.
▪ Apart from strengthening transatlantic relations, the Portuguese presidency will give a clear priority to building a strategic dialogue with emergent countries, with summits planned with Russia, China, India, and Brazil.
▪ Whilst Germany oriented the EU’s Neighborhood Policy towards Eastern countries, Portugal will shift efforts towards the Mediterranean countries.
▪ Africa will also remain a key focus.
▪ Enlargement talks will be ongoing with the Western Balkans and the Middle East.

Portugal National Day – 10th June 2007
On the 10th of June the Consulate celebrated the Portuguese National Day. In order to make this day special, the Consulate invited the Portuguese Community to a dinner at Café Italia in Adliya.

Ms Gisele Ferreira, Mr. Abdulaziz al-Ahmed and Mr. Firmino Martins

It was a pleasure dinner where the Portuguese Community got the opportunity to get together.

Gulf Daily News Newspaper, 01 May 2007

In May 2007, the Barhaini Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, has received the Portuguese Honorary Consul, Abdullah Al-Othman to review bilateral relations.

This was an opportunity to strengthen the relations between Portugal and Bahrain, and design new strategies in order to promote both countries.

Minister of Culture visits Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – April 2007

Under the High Patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, the fourth and current Painting & Patronage initiative was formally opened at the Al-Faisaliah Tower in Riyadh in April 2007. A significant exhibition of some of Portugal’s most prominent artists and photo-graphers was opened by HRH Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia in the presence of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, HE Prof Dr Isabel Pires de Lima, Minister of Culture of the Portuguese Republic

and over 1000 personalities from both countries and beyond. A series of business led cultural, educational and artistic programmes were developed alongside the event aimed at furthering ties between Saudi Arabia and Portugal.

“Paisagens Portuguesas Conteporrâneas” is an exhibition of the work of 22 Portuguese artists of diverse generations in the fields of painting, photography and drawing. Artists as Alberto Carneiro, Nikias Skpinakis, Noronha da Costa, Daniel Blaufuks, Pedro Calapez, Jorge Martins, Mario Cesariny, Mariana Viegas, Baltazar Torres, Marta Ramos e Cristina Mateus, showed the universal thematic, but pertinent culture code of landscapes interpretation through the point of view of an occidental person.

The Painting & Patron-age initiative was estab-lished in Riyadh in 1999 and is today one of the

most prominent private cultural and educational exchange initiatives between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Europe. It was created by its founding patron and son of His late Majesty King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, in partnership with the initiative’s founding chairman, Mr. Anthony Bailey.
The principal aim and activity of the initiative is to build valuable bridges of cultural, artistic and educational understanding between the Arab world and Europe. Through doing so, the initiative aims to establish a higher and deeper level of appreciation and understanding of each other’s distinct and diverse cultures and traditions.

“Jantar TUGA” – The Portuguese Dinner
Every first Thursday of the month all the members of the Portuguese Community are invited to a dinner, were you can speak Portuguese and were you can have the opportunity to meet other Portuguese residents in Bahrain.

Jantar “TUGA” I, Zyton – Novotel - FEBRUARY 2007

Jantar “TUGA” III – Hard Rock Café - APRIL 2007

Join us!
For more info., email us at info@portugalconsulate.net.

Visit of the NATO Delegation – March 2007

The annual country visit of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's Mediterranean Special Group (GSM), led by Assembly President José Lello (Portugal) and GSM Chairman Jean-Michel Boucheron (France), took place in Bahrain and Kuwait between March 28th and April 1st.

Engº José Lello Nato
Parliamentary Assembly President

A Group of some 20 European and North American parliamentarians met fellow legislators as well as senior government officials from the two Gulf countries. Discussions focused on common security concerns in the Gulf and the Middle East, economic and political developments in the region and relations with NATO in the context of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI). Meetings with civil society and media representatives were also held in both countries. As one of the most important outcomes of the visit, parliamentarians from Bahrain and Kuwait were invited to participate as observers in selected NATO PA activities.
Officials from both countries (Bahrain and Kuwait) had a very positive evaluation of the ICI and the role of NATO in the Gulf region. The Bahraini Minister of Defence, General Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, regarded the ICI as a good step in the right direction, but also said that further efforts would be needed. The ICI has allowed Bahrain to participate in more than 80 NATO activities so far, the Minister said.

The Portuguese Minister of Defence visit to Bahrain

On 18 January 2007, the Portuguese Honorary Consul in Bahrain, Mr. Abdullah Al-Othman had the opportunity to welcome Prof. Dr. Nuno Severiano Teixeira, Portuguese Minister of National Defence and General Luís Vasco Valença Pinto, Portuguese Chief of Defence for a dinner held in Trader Vick’s – Ritz Carlton Hotel – Bahrain on their honors. see picture

Prof. Dr. Nuno Severiano Teixeira, Minister of National Defence assumed this position in June 2006 and decided to make Bahrain one of his pit-stops. He arrived to Bahrain on 16 January before going to Afghanistan and Pakistan and he came back on 18 January before leaving to Portugal to dine with the Mr. Abdullah M. Al-Othman.

Mr. Abdullah M. Al-Othman, Portuguese Honorary Consul with Prof. Dr. Nuno Severiano Teixeira, Minister of National Defence, Portugal - left and General Luis Vasco Valenca Pinto, Portuguese Chief of Defence - right

Prof. Dr. Nuno Severiano Teixeira was accompanied during his visit by General Valença Pinto (Portuguese Chief of Defence), General Vitor Rodrigues Viana(Cabinet Chief), Dr. João Paulo Costa(Diplomatic Advisor), Dr. Inês Rapazote (Media Advisor), Capitão Luís Carvalho (Field Manager), Agent Vasco Queiroz (Personal Security), Inês Escobar Lima (Jornalist), João Relvas (Photography Reporter), Pedro Martins (Image Reporter)

Dr. Nuno Severiano Teixeira left Bahrain on 19 January heading back to Lisbon- Portugal.