[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 125 (Tuesday, August 4, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF AMBASSADOR NUNO BRITO

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 4, 2015

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleagues Mr. 
Cicilline, Mr. Honda, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Langevin, Mr. McGovern, Mr. 
Nunes and Mr. Valadao to recognize the service of our good friend Nuno 
Brito, the Ambassador of Portugal to the United States. After four 
years of hard work, Ambassador Brito deserves to be commended for all 
of his tireless efforts to strengthen the special bond between Portugal 
and the United States.
  Born in Angola, Brito earned his degree in law from the University of 
Lisbon and joined the Portuguese diplomatic service shortly thereafter. 
He began his career with Portugal's Diplomatic Service in 1984 as part 
of the Americas Department. Brito first served at the Portuguese 
Embassy in Washington, DC, from 1987 to 1993. This time in Washington, 
DC, laid the foundation for his continued career as an effective 
statesman for the people of Portugal. Brito then served as Deputy 
Alternate Representative to the Security Council at the United Nations 
during Portugal's term as a non-permanent member for 1997/1998. 
Following a stint as Deputy Permanent Representative of Portugal to the 
United Nations, Brito also served as Political Director of Portugal and 
co-chair of the Portuguese-U.S. Standing Bilateral Commission.
  On February 23, 2011, Brito presented his credentials to President 
Barack Obama and expressed his desire to focus on expanding the U.S.-
Portugal relationship beyond political and military cooperation to 
science, technology, and energy initiatives. He pursued these goals by 
actively engaging with the Congressional Portuguese Caucus, especially 
on subjects that benefitted from Portuguese expertise such as issues 
with Africa, the Americas, and across the Atlantic. Furthermore, 
Brito's experiences from the United Nations, U.S.-Portuguese Standing 
Bilateral Commission, Luso-Spanish Commission for Trans-border 
Cooperation, and other roles within Portugal's Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs gave him an edge for practicing diplomacy and advocacy in the 
United States. This especially showed during Brito's work to bring 
understanding and cooperation to NATO maneuvers and to the operation of 
Lajes Field in the Azores.
  Brito led numerous initiatives to support and engage Portuguese-
American communities throughout the United States. Earlier this year, 
Brito invited Portuguese-American federal, state, and local elected 
officials to celebrate Dia de Portugal in Washington, DC. The full day 
of events was a wonderful representation of not only the special 
relationship between our countries, but of Brito's innate ability to 
bring people together and raise awareness of Portuguese culture and 
values.
  Another example of Brito's leadership on behalf of Portugal is 
bringing IBERIAN SUITE: global arts remix to the John F. Kennedy Center 
for the Performing Arts. The IBERIAN SUITE featured dozens of 
performances from Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking communities over a 
three-week period. It was an unprecedented opportunity to explore the 
contributions of Portuguese and Spanish cultures to the development of 
the arts around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Honda, 
Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Langevin, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Nunes, Mr. Valadao, and I 
ask our colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize 
Ambassador Nuno Brito and his many contributions to the U.S.-Portugal 
relationship. His dedication to fostering cooperation between American 
and Portuguese society is surpassed by none. It is an honor to call him 
a friend and we wish him the best of luck in his next position.