Portugal to participate in Peace Summit at highest level

Portugal will take part in the Global Peace Summit at the highest level and try to convince the countries that are still hesitant to come to Switzerland for the event to follow suit.

This was stated by the country's Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, after talks with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on May 24, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Portugal will be represented at this conference at the highest level... And we will make every effort to convince those who may not have much hope at this stage, are still hesitant, to participate; so that the representation at the conference is as broad and high as possible," said Montenegro.

According to him, it is necessary to seize all chances to find a peaceful solution, to stop the situation where human rights and basic rules are so grossly violated.

Scholz, in turn, called the Peace Summit in Switzerland a "brick" that should be placed on other "bricks" of previous meetings of foreign policy representatives from a number of countries in Copenhagen, Jeddah, Valetta, and Davos. After the June summit, there will be other conferences, because now it will not be possible to reach a "big solution", he is convinced, but it is important to discuss certain important issues, in particular, the non-use of nuclear weapons, safety of nuclear power plants, exchange of prisoners of war, and other issues. This should lay the foundations for the further peace process.

The chancellor noted that it is already known that participation in the summit will be broad. He also noted that the war will end only when Russia sees that it must withdraw its troops and make the necessary contribution to establishing a just peace.

Scholz earlier announced that he would attend the summit in person.

As reported, U.S. President Joe Biden said he would not personally participate in the conference in Switzerland on June 15-16 due to his schedule. China and Brazil issued a joint statement insisting that "both sides of the conflict" should sit at the negotiating table.