Portugal takes over EU presidency from Germany

The most important task of the Portuguese presidency over the next six months will be to successfully conclude negotiations over the new EU treaty.

Portugal on Sunday took over the rotating European Union (EU) presidency from Germany.

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The most important task of the Portuguese presidency over the next six months will be to successfully conclude negotiations over the new EU treaty.

"We have a clear mandate for what we have to do," Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates said on Saturday in Lisbon.

Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski's renewed questioning of the agreed voting system in the Council could only be a "misunderstanding" over the result of last week's EU summit in Brussels.

During its presidency, Portugal intends to hold the first EU-Africa summit in seven years and intensify European relations with Brazil - the largest Portuguese-speaking country worldwide.

The EU is planning summit, similar to those it holds with the US, Russia, Canada, the Ukraine and China.