During a visit to Ireland, Paulo Rangel highlighted the vast bilateral economic potential between Portugal and Ireland, following meetings with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin. The meeting included a day focused on economic diplomacy.
Rangel mentioned the 'Ireland 2040' plan, which foresees significant investments, such as one billion euros annually just in the energy and electrical connection sector, and over one billion annually for railway construction and related materials. The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that Portuguese companies can play an important role in these public investments.
To facilitate these opportunities, he spoke with the Portuguese ambassador to Ireland, aiming to organize an economic forum between Lisbon and Dublin. Rangel stated that the chances of Irish investment in Portugal and the opportunities for Portuguese companies are considerable, although they are not always visible to national companies.
Regarding the organization of this forum, Paulo Rangel informed that he still needs to dialogue with the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP), but predicted it could happen in the near future. He emphasized the great complementarity between the two economies, citing Portuguese experience in areas such as telecommunications networks, energy, infrastructure, housing construction, and railways, asserting that Portugal has the capacity to meet these needs.
Beyond the economic dimension, Rangel also met with his Irish counterpart, Helen McEntee, and Prime Minister Micheál Martin, where the bilateral relationship and major European policy issues were discussed. Specifically, they discussed the next European Union (EU) community budget for the period 2028 to 2034, which the current Irish Presidency of the EU Council intends to finalize by the end of the year.
The minister reported that the Irish officials showed sensitivity to the Portuguese arguments, particularly concerning cohesion policy. He observed that Ireland holds a favorable position to understand the different demands of the countries, as it was a major beneficiary of cohesion while maintaining a very cautious financial policy. Therefore, Rangel believes there is a good chance of concluding this process on time.
Other topics addressed with the Prime Minister and the head of Irish diplomacy included EU expansion, the Savings and Investment Union, trade policy, and relations with the United States. Rangel assessed his visit as 'very positive' and 'unusually detailed,' mentioning that, in addition to political and economic aspects, he dedicated a day to the cultural plan on Saturday to promote exchange between the two countries.