RIYADH
\nPortugal\u2019s Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel has praised the Trump administration\u2019s success in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, calling the Gaza peace deal a breakthrough that has brought \u201chuge progress on the ground.\u201d
\nSpeaking to Arab News in Riyadh, Rangel said the agreement, which saw the release of hostages and prisoners and a halt to two years of bloodshed, represents a historic turning point for the region and a long-awaited opportunity to relaunch peace efforts.
\nHe cautioned, however, that the truce remains fragile and will require sustained international support. \u201cEvery peace process is always so fragile, so delicate,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe saw that the hostages were released, the ceasefire is being implemented. And, of course, there will be difficulties because these processes are very, very difficult.\u201d
\nUS President Donald Trump hailed a \u201ctremendous day for the Middle East\u201d on Monday as he and regional leaders signed a declaration cementing a Gaza ceasefire after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners.
\nTrump made a whirlwind visit to Israel, praising Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, before flying to Egypt for a summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, where he and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye signed as guarantors of the deal.
\nThe agreement commits signatories to pursue \u201ccomprehensive and durable peace\u201d in Gaza, though it avoids mention of a one- or two-state solution.
\nUnder the plan, Hamas freed 20 surviving hostages in exchange for 1,968 Palestinian prisoners. However, the truce remains fragile. Hamas has yet to disarm, Israel has not pledged full withdrawal, and Gaza\u2019s humanitarian crisis persists.
\n\u201cThe implementation of the Trump plan is really a success. But we have to be very realistic and at the same time also optimistic,\u201d said Rangel.
\n\u201cWe are here today because something happened last weekend, and so we should not now try to put very, very dark clouds on the horizon. We should really be optimistic, knowing that every peace process is always so fragile, so delicate that we cannot give up in any case.\u201d
\nPortugal formally recognized the State of Palestine on Sept. 21 \u2014 a move Rangel described as the culmination of longstanding policy and of the diplomatic momentum created by the UN conference co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, which resulted in the New York Declaration.
\nOn the question of recognition and the UN process, Rangel highlighted the role played by the international conference on the two-state solution.
\n\u201cWe have worked closely to get a strong declaration on the two-state solution, together with France and Saudi Arabia as co-chairs of this movement,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that led Portugal to recognize Palestine.\u201d
\nAsked whether Portugal\u2019s recognition of Palestine was a tactical response to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza or a long-overdue fulfilment of policy, Rangel was unequivocal that recognition was rooted in Portugal\u2019s consistent external policy.
\n\u201cThis was decided in the framework of this conference that was held under the UN umbrella, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. But this represents the long way that Portugal has developed across the last 50 years.
\n\u201cWe were always very much in favor of the two-state solution. This is a constant of Portuguese external policy.\u201d
\nRangel said the timing reflected a sense of urgency. \u201cWe moved forward because we were very aware that with the conflict in Gaza, with the developments in the West Bank, that even the idea of a new Palestinian state was at risk. Was at stake.
\n\u201cAnd so to make a recognition was the only manner to show that we have to defend this idea because it\u2019s the only solution for this conflict in the medium run and in the long run.\u201d
\nHe stressed that recognition should be paired with practical measures: humanitarian access to Gaza, reconstruction plans, and an international effort to ensure a stable transition.
\n\u201cAid is going to have to enter in a massive way and in an organized way, and not chaotic way,\u201d he added.
\nRangel was in Riyadh this week to meet with his counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan and to advance the bilateral relationship between Saudi Arabia and Portugal.
\n\u201cFirst I have to say that I\u2019m very, very glad to be here. It\u2019s very important to relaunch a very, very intense and close relationship between Saudi Arabia and Portugal,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cAnd, of course, the main issues that we have to address are related to bilateral relations, where we can improve a lot. I think we have made very, very solid progress. But we have huge potential to develop and to improve our economic and cultural relations.\u201d
\nThe Saudi-Portuguese business architecture has been developing rapidly since the establishment of the Saudi-Portuguese Business Council in August 2024, a formal institutional vehicle intended to speed investment and trade ties.
\nThe council \u2014 backed by the Federation of Saudi Chambers and Portuguese business bodies \u2014 has already targeted renewable energy, tourism, technology and infrastructure as priority sectors.
\nRangel was at pains to correct an often-repeated assumption that Portugal is only seeking inward Saudi capital.
\n\u201cNormally, people think that Portugal is like a lot of countries, only trying to convince Saudi investors to invest in our country. And this is true, we really want to enhance an investment movement from Saudi entrepreneurs, from Saudi funds, in Portugal.
\n\u201cBut it is true, if you look at the micro economy, that there is a very relevant group of Portuguese entrepreneurs that are also doing new things in Saudi Arabia. Also in Riyadh, things are happening.\u201d
\nHe pointed to sectors where Portuguese strengths and Saudi ambitions overlap: renewables and energy transition, maritime industries and oceanography, new technologies, and niche manufacturing such as Portugal\u2019s globally-recognised footwear and fashion industries.
\n\u201cI would invite, also, the Saudi side to look at Portugal more carefully when you look at renewable energies, for instance \u2014 that\u2019s also quite an important bit of Saudi Vision 2030.
\n\u201cWhen you look at the sea and the ocean, when you look at new technologies, when you look at fashion, for instance the shoes industry, that is a top world one. So there\u2019s plenty of opportunities.\u201d
\nRangel also framed Portugal as a stable, investment-friendly gateway to Europe.
\n\u201cPortugal is today probably one of the most, or even the most, stable country in Europe, because, if you look at our public finance and how the ratings are evolving, Portugal is a very safe and secure, very inclusive country. You\u2019ll see that all the conditions are there to make a safe and very fruitful investment.\u201d
\nCulture and history were not an afterthought. Rangel used a linguistic example to underline centuries of Iberian-Arab exchange. \u201cTen percent of Portuguese words come directly from Arabic. For instance, you said inshallah. In Portugal, it is oxala. Exactly the same meaning.\u201d
\nPointing to shared historical touchpoints across the Gulf and along Portugal\u2019s own maritime routes, Rangel said: \u201cWe have to enhance the mutual understanding between civilizations and peoples.
\n\u201cPortugal is at the cross of different civilizations. We were always sailors, so we were present almost all over the world. And we still are, in a quite humble way.\u201d
\nHe also placed culture inside a pragmatic development frame \u2014 joint artistic projects, museum collaborations, and even sport.
\n\u201cI would be remiss if I didn\u2019t recognize the Saudi-Portuguese football player who has made headlines all over the world,\u201d he said, referring to Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed a new two-year contract extension with Al-Nassr FC in June.
\n\u201cSoft power really does play a huge part in enhancing bilateral relations around the world and showcasing it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RIYADH Portugal\u2019s Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel has praised the Trump administration\u2019s success in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, calling the Gaza peace deal a breakthrough that has brought \u201chuge progress on the ground.\u201d Speaking to Arab News in Riyadh, Rangel said the agreement, which saw the release of hostages and prisoners and a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":508872,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-508847","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n