Desk Report: The Prime Minister of Portugal Luís Montenegro announced, in a statement to the country from the Prime Minister's official residence in Lisbon, that the Government has chosen Alcochete (Setubal district) for the location of Lisbon's new international airport, following the recommendation of the Independent Technical Commission (CTI ) created by agreement between the PSD and the previous PS Government.

“I said, as it is fair to say that the previous Prime Minister also did, that a year of work by the CTI did not mean delaying a decision that had been waiting to be made for 50 years for another year.”

For Montenegro, “this year of evaluation was essential and the appropriate way to unlock the process”.

“It was neither irresponsible haste nor passive postponement. Now, as Prime Minister, I want to affirm that these decisions, despite being quick, are considered, well-founded and strategic for the future of Portugal”, he stated.

“The national interest does not just demand a decision, it demands that the best decision be made based on the best information”, he reinforced.

In addition to having decided on the location and name of the new Lisbon airport - which will be called Luís de Camões -, the Government also approved the determination of a works plan for the current Humberto Delgado Airport, the completion of studies for a third crossing of the Tagus and the high-speed rail connection between Lisbon and Madrid.

The Prime Minister, who took office on April 2, made a point of adding these decisions to others made by the Government, such as the reduction of the IRS (still under discussion in parliament's specialty), negotiations with teachers and security forces, the increase of the reference value of the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly and the 100% reimbursement of medicines for its beneficiaries, as well as the new strategy for housing, presented last week.

“These decisions are just the result of 32 days of government work after the investiture in parliament, a pace that will continue with intensity,” he said.

Montenegro ended his short «presentation – without the right to questions and which preceded a more detailed presentation by the Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz – quoting the poet Luís de Camões and a passage from “Os Lusíadas”.

“’Hard and shiny things are achieved with work and fatigue’. Our philosophy is not to waste time, to do everything that depends on us. Our ambition is to do it faster and better than others, our victory is the happiness of the Portuguese”, he concluded. theportugalnews.com.

Biniyougbarta/SAM//