India joins grouping of Portuguese speaking countries as observer

New Delhi, Aug 4 (UNI) India has joined the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) as Associate Observer, taking forward efforts to strengthen cooperation with Lusophone countries, Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi said on Wednesday.
“Happy to share that India has joined @_CPLP as Associate Observer in July 2021. Setting a new platform for strengthening our historic bonds of friendship with Lusophone Countries and pursuing cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” she tweeted.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted, “Looking forward to further enriching and strengthening our ties with the Portuguese speaking world. Estamos juntos.”
The CPLP, also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth, is an international organization and political association of Lusophone nations across four continents, where Portuguese is an official language.
The CPLP’s nine member states are Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe.
It was officially launched on July 17, 1996, at the Lisbon Constitutive Summit.
Founded upon the principle of solidarity, the Community’s statutes define three main objectives for the organization: political and diplomatic coordination; cooperation in all areas; and promotion and diffusion of the Portuguese language.