Foreign relations of Portugal holds claim to the disputed territory of Olivença on the Portugal-Spain border. Foreign relations of Portugal Foreign relations of Portugal are linked with its historical role as a major player in the Age of Discovery and the holder of the now defunct Portuguese Empire.Portugal is a European Union member country and a founding member of NATO. It is a committed proponent of European integration and transatlantic relations. Augusto Santos Silva is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal. Historically, the focus of Portuguese diplomacy has been to preserve its independence, "vis-à-vis", the danger of annexation by Spain, and the
Portugal in the Middle Ages privileges and favours given to the Roman Catholic Church were compensated. In the papal bull " Manifestis Probatum", Pope Alexander III acknowledged Afonso as King and Portugal as an independent land with the right to conquer lands from the Moors. With this papal blessing, Portugal was at last secured as a country and safe from any Leonese attempts at annexation. In 1184, in spite of his great age, King Afonso of Portugal still had sufficient energy to relieve his son Sancho, who was besieged in Santarém by the Moors. He died shortly after, on December 6, 1185. Afonso had already