MOSCOW, November 15. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Portugal’s capital city Lisbon on November 24 to meet with the president and the Portuguese counterpart, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Thursday.
"Talks will focus on the whole range of bilateral relations, as well as cooperation on the global arena over most pressing issues of world politics," the spokeswoman said.
"The visit of the Russian foreign minister to Lisbon will take place on November 24, at the invitation of the Portuguese side," she said, adding that Lavrov was scheduled for talks with counterpart Augusto Santos Silva and separate talks with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
"The sides also intend to sign a memorandum between the foreign ministries on mutual understanding on conducting political consultations," the diplomat said.
"The ministers also plan to discuss ways to give a boost to economic cooperation which has been growing of late. Thus, in 2017 bilateral trade amounted to about $1.5 billion, and growth has continued this year," Zakharova stressed. She said a next session of the Russian-Portuguese inter-governmental commission for economic and technical cooperation was scheduled for December 6-7.
"Relations in the cultural-humanitarian sector will also be a top focus," she added. The diplomat said the sides also planed to discuss future cooperation in supporting each other’s candidates at elections to international organizations.
Bilateral relations of Russia and Portugal are traditionally based on partnership on principles of mutual respect and constructive cooperation.
"A regular political dialogue at the top and summit levels is maintained. Let me remind you that this past July, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a conversation with the Portuguese president who visited our country within the framework of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Portuguese foreign minister has visited Moscow twice in the past two years," the diplomat added.