“It is an old alliance, the oldest [diplomatic] alliance in the world, and within the parliamentary expression, more can be done to exchange experiences and strengthen relations among parliamentarians, creating stronger synergies in terms of knowledge,” stated Aguiar-Branco to Agência Lusa.
Aguiar-Branco believes that exchanges with other parliaments allow “members of parliament to have better knowledge of matters, better understanding of international policies, and more insight into what is happening in relation to countries with which Portugal has bilateral relations,” thereby enhancing “the knowledge dimension of Portuguese parliamentarians to make decisions.”
The Speaker of the Portuguese Assembly is conducting an official visit to the British Parliament on Wednesday, at the invitation of his counterpart, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle.
Joining the parliamentary delegation are the President of the National Defense Commission, MP Pedro Pessanha, the Vice-President of the Foreign Affairs and Portuguese Communities Commission, MP Elza Pais, and the Vice-President of the European Affairs Commission, MP Ricardo Carvalho.
Aguiar-Branco mentioned the intention of inviting Hoyle to officially visit Portugal, an unprecedented move.
“I am very hopeful that this visit will signify a different step in the quality of the relationship between the Portuguese parliament and the British parliament,” he told Lusa.
Upon arriving in the British capital, Aguiar-Branco participated in a reception with some members of the Portuguese community at the Portuguese Embassy, striving to connect with nationals residing abroad.
The Speaker of the Assembly wants emigrants to “feel that the Parliament is also theirs.”
When asked about the upcoming presidential elections and the fact that only in-person voting is allowed, Aguiar-Branco acknowledged the difficulty many residents abroad face in traveling to polling stations located only at certain diplomatic posts and reiterated support for changes that promote greater participation, such as electronic voting.
“I think today, with new technologies, with the ability to create conditions more easily and securely, this exercise of the right to vote can truly express the will of the voting citizen; I believe we need to work in that direction,” he said.
