The President of the Republic meets this Friday with the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, in Toronto, on the third day of his official visit to Canada, with a program dedicated to the Portuguese emigrant communities of this country.

According to a note from the Presidency of the Republic, this working meeting between Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Justin Trudeau aims to “discuss the bilateral agenda in the most varied areasas well as the realization of a in-depth analysis of the international political situationwhich continues to be marked by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

The meeting will take place in a Hotel in Torontoat 11:30 a.m. local time (4:30 p.m. in mainland Portugal).

Wednesday evening, in front of representatives of the Portuguese community in Montreal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stressed that the Canadian Prime Minister “is leaving a meeting he has in Ottawa to go to Toronto” for this meeting.

“Because you know the importance of relations between Portugal and Canada, because you know your importance here,” declared the head of state.

Community of Portuguese emigrants

After the meeting with Justin Trudeau, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa inaugurate an exhibition on the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the first Portuguese emigrants to Canada officially registered, at Metro Hall, and will have a meeting at the University of Toronto with professors and students on the Portuguese language.

The Portuguese emigration which began in 1953 took place in following the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two countriesin 1952.

The President of the Republic arrived in Montreal on Wednesday and will be in Canada until Sunday.

His delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, and the deputies João Azevedo e Castro, from the PS, Francisco Pimentel, from the PSD, Diogo Pacheco de Amorim, from Chega, Rodrigo Saraiva, parliamentary leader of the Liberal Initiative, Bruno Dias, from the PCP, and José Soeiro, from the Bloco de Esquerda.

Speaking to journalists upon his arrival, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said I hope that your visit will be “a great moment of thanks to the Portuguese community” in this country, where, according to the 2021 census, around 450,000 people of Portuguese origin live.

From Canada, the President of the Republic will travel to the United States of America, to participate in the general debate of the 78th session of the General Assembly of United Nations (UN)in New York, until September 22.