Portugal’s Prime Minster led a land clearance assault force of about two dozen members of his Government on Saturday.Launching a major forest clean-up campaign, that covered districts from the north to south of the country, Costa chose the Algarve for his photo opportunity, pictured here with Loulé mayor, Vitor Aleixo.
Costa was accompanied by gentlemen of the media and local politicians as he strode across land in Vermelhos in the parish of Ameixial, Loulé, to help alert the nation to the need to clean up forests and scrubland.
António Costa wanted to highlight the importance of "identifying the risk to be able to reduce it in order to increase the safety of all."
The Prime Minister said that for the first time there is a great awareness of what needs to be done to clean up the land, saying it is essential that everyone focus on what is "essential."
As long as the risk does not discourage cleanup, he said the priority should continue to be this prevention work because "the more we do now, the less risk there will be tomorrow."
“We have a battle to tame the forest and we will fight this battle without fear, with courage, with determination," said Costa, quoting the words of the former socialist minister, Jorge Coelho.
