TORONTO -- Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau will visit Portugal at the invitation of Prime Minister Pinto Balsemao to cement diplomatic and commercial relations and 'a project of great importance to Southern Africa.'
Trudeau late Monday accepted the Portugese prime minister's invitation at a sparkling banquet in honor of the first Canadian visit by a Portugese head of state. No date has been set for the visit.
'We hope that we will be working together with Canada, as with other countries, in a project of great importance to Southern Africa,' said Balsemao, founder of the influential weekly newspaper L'Expresso who came to power in 1980 representing the Democratic Alliance.
Balsemao also spoke about 'extending our cooperation and dialogue with Africa, specially with the Portugese speaking-countries, and the Arab Nations.'
Trudeau, a Liberal who first came to power in Canada 14 years ago, congratulated Balsemao for bringing a 'new liberal, with a small 'l', outlook to Portugal.'
Trudeau also said he and Balsemao had, during private talks, spoken about improvine the already 'strong ties and closer cooperation' forged at the NATO summit in Bonn, as well as 'increased commercial relations.'
Balsemao, 45, began a three-day state visit to Canada Monday holding meetings with representatives of Canada's largest Portuguese community in Toronto, some 300,000 people strong.
The Portugese-Canadians lavished a tumultuous and emotional welcome. Balsemao returned the compliment by telling the gathering, in Portuguese, that he was trying to restore to Portugal what they had come to Canada to find -- democracy and equality.
Clapping people on the back, posing for family snapshots and signing autographs, the Portugese prime minister demonstrated his reputation as a man of the people to about 150 gathered at Toronto's Harborfront.
Jose Vicennte, who left Portugal to come to Canada in 1975, reminisced with Balsemao about the days of the 1974 revolution which overthrew the military.
'We remembered those days and what we were both doing,' Vicennte said. 'He is to me and has been for many years the best man in Portugal.'
As Balsemao left, children in national costume, trailing ribbons, ran shouting after his limousine as it sped away.
The Portuguese leader, accompanied by his wife and 16 officials of his government, was to travel to Ottawa today and visit Montreal Wednesday.
Portugal now exports more than $50 million worth of goods to Canada and imports about $100 million worth of Canadian goods, more than half of it fish. A 1980-81 drought forced Portugal to search worldwide for $2 million worth of food and animal feed and rely more heavily on France and Spain for hydo-electricity.
