FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
On the Occasion of Portugal Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 7, 2013
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Portugal as you observe Portugal Day.
The United States and Portugal share a close alliance, which is grounded in centuries of friendship between our two peoples. Our ties of amity are strengthened by our shared democratic values, commitment to global economic prosperity, and desire to work together to solve global challenges.
We are grateful for our continued cooperation in NATO and the United Nations, and are confident that our partnership only will deepen in the years to come.
Portuguese culture has been a thread stitched throughout my own life, from my wife, whose native language is Portuguese and who taught me to speak some of that beautiful language and even to cook her native dishes, to southeastern Massachusetts, which I represented for 28 years in the United States Senate and which boasts one of America’s largest Portuguese-American communities.
For those reasons and many more, it’s with particular pride on this Portugal Day - as you honor the great poet Luís de Camões and the many other artists, authors, and adventurers who have shaped your country - that I hope you know that communities throughout the United States celebrate along with you.
