Angolan President João Lourenço called on Friday, July 25, in Lisbon (Portugal), for respect for the principle of rotational presidency within the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), at a time when an impasse persists over the organization’s leadership for the 2027–2029 term.
“The CPLP is committed to respecting the rights and duties of each member state, including the right to preside over the organization, based on the principle of rotation, until all have benefited from that same right,” stated João Lourenço during a dinner hosted by his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, as part of his official visit to Portugal.
His statement follows the closure of the “15th Conference of Heads of State and Government of the CPLP,” held on July 18, which ended without a consensus on who should take over the presidency of the organization after Guinea-Bissau. According to sources cited by the Lusa news agency, Equatorial Guinea has put forward its candidacy for the role with the backing of the Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP), while Brazil has also presented a candidacy, supported by Portugal and Timor-Leste.
The absence of both the Portuguese President and Prime Minister at this summit — marking the first time Portugal was not represented at the highest level — sparked speculation. The country was instead represented by Foreign Affairs Minister Paulo Rangel. According to the Expresso newspaper, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa chose not to attend due to the possibility that the presidency might be handed to Equatorial Guinea, a country frequently accused of human rights violations.
João Lourenço also used the occasion to stress the importance of promoting the Portuguese language internationally, advocating for “greater coordination of efforts” to have it recognized as an official working language at the United Nations and other multilateral organizations.
Earlier that day, Angola and Portugal signed 11 cooperation agreements in areas such as Portuguese language education, security, civil protection, and transport. Lourenço’s state visit to Portugal continues with an agenda focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and reinforcing ties between the two countries.
The CPLP is composed of nine member states: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste. Although the organization’s statutes do not require alphabetical rotation for the presidency, this has been the customary practice, with some exceptions. A final decision on the 2027–2029 presidency is expected at an upcoming meeting of the organization.
Source: Diário Económico
