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BBC MUNDO RADIO
LUANDA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva on Friday called for further efforts to promote Portuguese as an international language to boost the cause of the eight-member Community of Portuguese Speaking countries (CPLP).
Addressing the 8th CPLP summit in Luanda, the Portuguese leader said much progress had been made in the international affirmation and projection of Portuguese since the organization committed itself to promote the language in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
The achievements included the establishment of May 5 as the Day of the Portuguese Language and the CPLP Culture, greater use of Portuguese in international forums of UNESCO and African Union, the Portuguese leader said, adding that he hoped the Luanda summit would adopt further action plans to promote the language in the world community.
President Cavaco Silva also stressed the need to expand Portuguese to other countries as a foreign language in addition to the school teaching of the language in each CPLP member state, and he said the expansion of Portuguese as an international language would result in economic opportunities for CPLP member countries.
The president also highlighted the commitment of Angola to CPLP values and principles to make the Luanda summit a success.
Angola assumed the two-year rotating chairmanship from Portugal at the summit.
The summit was opened earlier in the day by Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who urged the CPLP to establish itself as a powerful and dynamic force capable of contributing peace and security and promoting growth, development and cooperation among the member states.
Eduardo dos Santos called on member states to strengthen cooperation on issues of civil society, health, youth, work and civil protection, gender equality, environment, education, renewable energy to adapt to the latest economic and social developments of the organization.
The Angolan leader said that the CPLP should be an important tool to establish all member states at regional and international levels by securing a fair and permanent participation in the structuring of the world political and economic order.
CPLP currently groups Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe while Equatorial Guinea, Mauritius and Senegal were observer members.
