Prague, March 5 (CTK) – The Czech government wants to promote contacts with Portuguese-speaking countries and that is why it will debate applying for observer status with the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) at its meeting on Wednesday.
The CPLP was founded in 1996.
The Foreign Ministry says the status would give the country an instrument with which to develop relations with the countries in which it does not have its diplomatic mission.
“This offers an opportunity to gain contacts and access to information and business deals,” the ministry told CTK.
Out of nine CPLP countries, the Czech Republic only has its diplomatic mission in Portugal and Brazil.
The Czech Republic is not the sole European nation considering more intensive contacts with these countries. The others include Australia, Croatia, Luxembourg, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines and Romania.
According to CTK’s information, Slovakia is also considering following suit.
Georgia, Japan and Turkey are among the observer countries that are expected to encourage Portuguese teaching and knowledge of Lusophone culture.
The language knowledge could be helpful in negotiating with African countries. “Portuguese is the third most widely used language in Sub-Saharan Africa and its knowledge is beneficial in promoting political and economic cooperation,” the ministry said.
In Africa, the Czech Republic could resume the good relations from the times of socialism. This is true for example of Angola and Mozambique whose young people studied at Czechoslovak universities within scholarship programmes.
“The generation of students from these countries from the 1980s are now at the top of their professional careers,” the ministry said.
It added that these people’s relationship to the Czech Republic could help Czech businesses to the countries’ markets.
