DIPLOMATIC PROFILE | NEW AMBASSADOR
Credentials Presented H
Peter Callaghan meets His Excellency, João de Vallera, the new Ambassador of Portugal to the United Kingdom.
is Excellency, João de Vallera, took up residency in Belgrave Square, SW1 last February with his
wife, Margarida.
He joined the diplomatic service in 1974 and has, according to him, had a somewhat unconventional diplomatic career as he has spent most of it in Europe.
His first posting was to Bonn in 1977, two years later he moved to Brussels, in 1989 he spent one year in Madrid, before moving back to Brussels, where he was closely involved with the negotiations of the Treaty of Maastricht and became Deputy Permanent Representative for almost six years. In 1998, he moved to Ireland as Ambassador, residing in Dublin before returning to Lisbon, aſter which time he spent four years in Germany as Ambassador from 2002. Before he came to the UK, he spent four very interesting years as Ambassador in Washington USA.
His Excellency told Portugal Life & Travel a litle about his views and life in London. “Te first really important thing that happens is that I have an official presentation to the Queen. My wife and I were taken from our residence in Belgrave Square to Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn carriage. During a private audience, I presented my Leters of Credence, which is an official document from one head of state to another head of state, giving legitimacy and official recognition of my appointment as Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Te leters stay at the Palace until I am reassigned, when I am then given a Leter of Recall.
“My days in London have naturally been very busy. To give you just a few examples, this week I have opened a Conference on Immigration Policies at King’s College, had a working visit from my Moroccan colleague and, in the evening, held a dinner at our residence. Te following day I atended a breakfast meeting with Minister for Europe David Lidington at the Foreign Office and held a lunch at our residence with journalists from a British newspaper. In the evening, I was invited by my Brazilian colleague to their annual Chamber of Commerce dinner”.
“Te following day, two representatives from a Portuguese construction and solar energy company
23 | Summer 2011 |
www.portugal-life.net
“ I atended a reception at Lancaster House for First Magazine with Secretary William Hague and I visited Lambeth, where there is a large Portuguese community. I also visited the City of London for a luncheon with other EU Ambassadors and bank representatives.
“At the weekend, I met with members of PARSUK - a Portuguese association of researchers and students in the UK. Margarida, too, leads a very busy life. An Ambassador’s wife’s role is very important. It is voluntary, of course and not one that everyone recognises.
”She runs the residence and everything official that takes place there has to be looked aſter by her. She also makes her own appearances and has her own activities. For example, last month she was involved in a Spring Fair in Kensington, for a charity run by HRH Duchess of Kent. Margarida was responsible for organizing different products that come from Portugal. Tese ranged from ceramics and wine to embroideries with all proceeds being donated to the charity. She also has her own contacts with other Ambassadorial colleagues and recently organised a fund raising dinner for the Red Cross.
“In my very limited spare time, I like to listen to classical music and I hope to play a litle tennis in the summer. I have not yet had time to explore the richness of London as much as I would like, but hope to do so in the near future.
“Looking beyond the financial and economic problems that Portugal is facing, there are many lesser known economic advantages that the country has to offer. Portugal is a net exporter of technology since 2007. Important structural reforms were already achieved – namely in the social security system, reinforcing its long term sustainability – and impressive progress took place in strategic areas like education, science and research, e-government, renewable energy and high-tech infrastructures, underpinning a real potential for growth.”
visited me and I hosted a lunch at the residence for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Portugal.
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