The XV Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) is set to take place in Guinea-Bissau on Friday. However, it remains unclear if Portugal will be represented at the highest level.
The head of Guinea-Bissau’s diplomacy stated, “We will hold this XV summit with those who are present,” responding to inquiries about Portugal’s uncertain representation following the CPLP Council of Ministers meeting.
This meeting approved proposals for discussion at the Summit of Heads of State and Government. According to the attendee list released by the Guinea-Bissau government, the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is the only one without a confirmed arrival time.
If both the President and the Prime Minister are absent, this will mark the first occasion that Portugal is not represented at the highest level at CPLP summits.
“We are focusing on those who are here without disregarding those who, for any reason, could not attend,” the diplomat remarked.
Carlos Pinto Pereira noted that Guinea-Bissau would not “interpret” the absence of the Portuguese President.
“We will simply assume that, for reasons currently unknown but not confirmed, they are not here, and we must understand the reasons presented,” he elaborated.
The Guinea-Bissau diplomat added that Portugal will be represented by his counterpart, Paulo Rangel, who has been in Bissau for two days and participated in the CPLP Council of Ministers meeting.
“If Portugal wanted us to interpret their potential absence differently, perhaps they would not be represented here at all,” the Guinean minister commented.
