My Lord Mayor,

On my official visit to the United Kingdom it is an honour to visit Westminster City Council, an institution full of historic traditions and always intimately linked to the destinies of this great nation.

Westminster City Council is rendered unique by the fact that for three centuries it was presided by British Prime Ministers, who accumulated this function with those of High Stewards of Westminster Abbey, by the close ties dating back to the early 16th century that link this historic temple to the City, and also due to the fact that Westminster has always been at the heart of the nation. Reconciling this powerful heritage with the complex multiple demands of a modern city must be an attractive and rewarding challenge.

It is a challenge also facing the historic alliance that has united our countries for over six hundred years. We do not want it to be something of the past, we want it to be a living commitment, renewed daily and adjusted to the new circumstances of a constantly changing world.

The difficult times that beset the international community emphasise the need for a closer union of efforts and communion of purposes. Let us then refresh and reinvent our centuries-old ties of friendship and place them not only at the service of our two peoples but also of humanity.

My Lord Mayor,

In what will be an act rich with symbolism I will this morning on Westminster territory unveil a statue to Prince Henry the Navigator, or Infante Dom Henrique as we call him. He was the son of an English princess whose shield, I am aware, forms part of the coat of arms of this prominent institution. He was a modern personality who “gave new worlds to the world”. What better person could we have found to illustrate the extraordinary link between the United Kingdom and Portugal and between the past and the future?

On this note of respect for the teachings of the past and a strong belief in the challenges of the future, I would like to thank Westminster City Council, in my own name, in the name of my wife and all those who accompanied me today, for your generous hospitality.


			Discurso do Presidente da República por ocasião da visita a Westminster City Hall (Versão em Inglês) Londres 12 de Fevereiro de 2002 My Lord Mayor, On my official visit to the United Kingdom it is an honour to visit Westminster City Council, an institution full of historic traditions and always intimately linked to the destinies of this great nation. Westminster City Council is rendered unique by the fact that for three centuries it was presided by British Prime Ministers, who accumulated this function with those of High Stewards of Westminster Abbey, by the close ties dating back to the early 16th century that link this historic temple to the City, and also due to the fact that Westminster has always been at the heart of the nation. Reconciling this powerful heritage with the complex multiple demands of a modern city must be an attractive and rewarding challenge. It is a challenge also facing the historic alliance that has united our countries for over six hundred years. We do not want it to be something of the past, we want it to be a living commitment, renewed daily and adjusted to the new circumstances of a constantly changing world. The difficult times that beset the international community emphasise the need for a closer union of efforts and communion of purposes. Let us then refresh and reinvent our centuries-old ties of friendship and place them not only at the service of our two peoples but also of humanity. My Lord Mayor, In what will be an act rich with symbolism I will this morning on Westminster territory unveil a statue to Prince Henry the Navigator, or Infante Dom Henrique as we call him. He was the son of an English princess whose shield, I am aware, forms part of the coat of arms of this prominent institution. He was a modern personality who “gave new worlds to the world”. What better person could we have found to illustrate the extraordinary link between the United Kingdom and Portugal and between the past and the future? On this note of respect for the teachings of the past and a strong belief in the challenges of the future, I would like to thank Westminster City Council, in my own name, in the name of my wife and all those who accompanied me today, for your generous hospitality.