Introduction

Madam President of the Assembly of the Republic,
Minister of State and Foreign Affairs,
Former President of the Republic, Jorge Sampaio
Members of the Portuguese Government,
Ambassadors,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted to be in Lisbon, and to have the chance to address such a distinguished audience here, in a place that is so symbolic of Portuguese democracy.

Of course, being Brazilian makes the pleasure even greater - speaking in Portuguese at an official event is a rare privilege, to say the least.

But the privilege also involves the chance to revisit a land which, aside from its mystique, is also a point of reference for all Brazilians. I can assure you all that, in my personal experience (as a Brazilian whose blood is 7/8 Portuguese), it is impossible to understand the Brazilian soul without visiting the roots and common origins of our people - people in the singular - distributed on both sides of the Atlantic.

Before embarking on the topic of our meeting here today, I feel compelled to share with the Portuguese nation my profound sadness and solidarity following the passing of Eusébio. As I think everyone knows, I'm a football fanatic, and it was very sad to receive the news when I disembarked yesterday in Lisbon. Eusébio - our "Black Panther" - was a sportsman and human being who always aroused feelings of admiration and inspired millions around the world. At least we have the consolation of being able to relive his great moments with images that will doubtless be relayed by television worldwide. He will remain forever in the annals of history as one of football's giants.

To get back to the route map of our conversation, just over a year ago I announced my candidacy for the post of Director