The British Foreign Minister, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, is to visit Portugal tomorrow to discuss the future relationship between the two countries after the UK leaves the European Union, a withdrawal scheduled for sometime in 2019.
Johnson will meet with Portugal’s Foreign Minister, Augusto Ernesto dos Santos Silva, Economy Minister, Manuel de Herédia Caldeira Cabral and with Portuguese businessmen who are involved in bi-lateral trade with the UK.
The various meetings for Johnson have been set up by the Embassy under Kirsty Hayes, the United Kingdom's Ambassador to Portugal, who has been keen to disseminate information to Portugal's expatriate community, as and when it has become available.
The first meeting on Friday will be at the Museum of Electricity in Belém where Johnson will meet Cabral and business leaders to discuss future commercial relations between the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, most importantly, with Portugal.
This private meeting will enable Johnston to gauge the assess the views and opinions of representatives from industry, media, government and academia.
For the media, Johnson will meet Augusto Santos Silva at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the counterparts will discuss the Brexit negotiations and how they are going, and other international issues.
Earlier this month the British Prime Minister, Theresa Mary May, published a legislative guide for post-Brexit Britain but in Brussels, negotiations remain focused on an exit agreement and the UK’s Brexit payment - ‘only then will trade relations be discussed’ is the Brussels view.
Portugal's Secretary of State for European Affairs, Ana Paula Zacarias, already has stated that the UK will have to agree a payment, and until this is signed off, the Brexit process can not progress.
Johnson then flies on to Paris for a working dinner with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, the perfect end to a working week.
Senior Cabinet ministers continue to send out conflicting messages on Brexit with chief negotiator, David Davis, saying on Wednesday that parliament may not get a vote on any final deal until after Britain leaves the Union, before being contradicted by the prime minister just one hour later.
Last week the Cabinet was rowing about whether to spend money on a no-deal Brexit scenario, causing a EU27 diplomat based in London to qustion, “How can you negotiate with this? Liam Fox says we will be fine without a deal, Johnson says the same, then Hammond says he will not give the money to prepare for Brexit, then May says no, we’ve already spent it. How can you negotiate? It cannot be like this. The outcome is bad for the EU, bad for the U.K.”
Despite promises from both sides that talks would accelerate, no date has been set for the next round of negotiations, (here)
