Portugal’s Prime Minister is in London for two days to visit Theresa May and leaders of community groups representing some of the 400,000 Portuguese living and working in the UK.
The concern is about Brexit and the impact Britain’s withdrawal will have on Portuguese people in the UK and on bilateral trade.
Community representatives are concerned that their rights and status should be protected after the UK leaves the European Union.
Costa's meeting with Theresa May will be one of support and encouragement but in the knowledge that there is little that can be done by Portugal to effect a smoother Brexit for Britain, especially as Costa reports to Brussels, not London.
Common ground has long existed between the two nations with the Treaty of Windsor establishing a pact of mutual support in 1386 and reinforced in 1386, 1643, 1654, 1660, 1661, 1703, 1815 and by a secret declaration in 1899.
How the text of the original Treaty translates into modern political times remains largely academic as immediate pressure from Portugal’s controllers in Brussels will overcome any rose-tinted historical document.
Costa is in London to talk money, not politics, and to showcase Portugal’s raft of investment opportunities to a highly mobile and adept UK business community that already is planning for the worst and hoping for the best, come Brexit day. With this in mind, Costa will attend an economic forum on Wednsday to lay out the red carpet to UK firms wishing to relocate.
Eurico Brilhante Dias, Portugal's secretary of State for Internationalisation, said in Lisbon, "What we are doing is showing that Portugal is a welcoming country and, if there are companies that decide to relocate, Portugal would be an excellent choice."
Two conferences have been arranged as part of the PM’s visit, the economic forum will be blowing Portugal’s trumpet on how well its economy is doing and what a great place it is for investment, the second will concentrate on the growing trade alliance between Portugal and India.
