Lisbon, Portugal, 26 April 2024 – Heads of State from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) were hosted this week at the Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat. Prince Rahim Aga Khan and Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan welcomed Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and leaders from other Lusophone countries.
In attendance were Their Excellencies José Maria Neves, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, José Ramos-Horta, and Carlos Manuel Vila Nova – the Presidents of Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Timor-Leste, and Sao Tome and Principe, respectively, accompanied by their delegations.
Other guests at the event included the President of Portugal’s Parliament, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel and other senior state officials and diplomats, and the leaders of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in Portugal.
The CPLP was founded in 1996 as a forum to enhance mutual friendship and cooperation amongst its member-states, which include Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste.
Nazim Ahmad, Diplomatic Representative of the Ismaili Imamat to Portugal, welcomed the guests and highlighted the value of multilateralism in uniting people of diverse faiths and cultures by promoting knowledge, dialogue and pluralism. He also spoke of AKDN’s work around the world.
“Social responsibility guides our action at all levels,” he said, “in different corners of the world, for the economic, social and cultural development of the populations with whom we cooperate.”
The reception comes during this week’s 50th anniversary commemoration of the Carnation Revolution of 1974, a turning point in Portugal's history. On 25 April 1974, a peaceful revolution led to a transformation of the country from a dictatorship into a democratic republic.
“On the eve of April 25 – the day dedicated to the struggle for peace and multilateralism, the Ismaili Imamat is an example of peace-building and multilateralism in the world,” said President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in his remarks.
AKDN agencies have been present in Portugal since 1983, with AKF working in the areas of early childhood education, social inclusion and urban poverty. Across all its activities, AKF seeks to help communities drive their own progress, connecting people from all walks of life, and working with them to help identify and realise their aspirations.
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