On 20 December 2025, a meeting between Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and Luís Montenegro, Prime Minister of Portugal, took place in the Ukrainian Parliament. His visit was an important signal of support for Ukraine and a testament to the high level of trust and development of Ukrainian-Portuguese relations.
«The Prime Minister noted that it was particularly symbolic for him to be in Parliament, as he himself had been a member of parliament in the past. This creates a common understanding of the role of the legislative branch and the importance of institutional dialogue. We have active interparliamentary cooperation and are committed to consistently deepening it,» emphasised the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, expressing his gratitude to the Portuguese people for their consistent, financial and humanitarian support for Ukraine, as well as for their solidarity with our people in countering russian aggression.
The parties discussed the peace process, Ukraine's renovation and the issue of energy defence. The particular attention was paid to Ukraine's European integration. «The experience of Portugal on its path to EU membership is crucially important for us. We count on the active role of the Portuguese side in supporting Ukraine, particularly in the context of opening negotiation clusters,» Ruslan Stefanchuk noted.
An important topic of discussion was the expansion of economic cooperation and the opening of Ukrainian and Portuguese markets for mutual trade, which could strengthen the economies of both countries.
An agreement was reached that during Ruslan Stefanchuk's upcoming visit to Portugal, work will continue on strengthening bilateral relations and developing cooperation between state institutions. ‘We confirmed our joint readiness to strengthen cooperation between all state institutions for the sake of peace, security and a common European future,’ summarised the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.