Portugal to strengthen U.S. ties and define UN Security Council agenda

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro will travel to the United States next week to participate in the 81st United Nations General Assembly. A primary objective of the visit is to strengthen growing economic and commercial ties between Portugal and the U.S. In 2025, the U.S. was Portugal's fourth-largest goods customer, accounting for 5.8% of national exports, and the tenth-largest supplier.

Portugal maintains a positive trade balance with the U.S. in goods and services, with exports reaching 9.7 billion euros and imports totaling 3.6 billion euros in 2025. Additionally, U.S. foreign direct investment in Portugal has shown sustained growth, reaching 4.8 billion euros in 2025.

Concurrently, Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel indicated that during the UN General Assembly, Portugal will define the agenda for its presidency of the UN Security Council, which begins in January 2027. The agenda is expected to address ongoing global conflicts, including those in Palestine, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Haiti, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and the war between Russia and Ukraine.