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Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
Your Excellency, President of Parliament, Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues
Distinguished Members of Government and Members of Parliament
Honourable Mayor of Lisbon, Fernando Medina
Excellencies
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Let me begin by expressing my most sincere gratitude to the President and the members of the Parliament, for your very warm welcome in this remarkable setting, and to the President of the Republic for the invitation to visit Portugal.

I recognise what a great honour it is to have been invited to speak to you today.

Your Highness, Prince Aga Khan;
Mr. Vice President, and President of the Class of Humanities of the Academy of
Sciences of Lisbon, Prof. Adriano Moreira;
Your Excellencies, the Ministers of Defense and Culture;
Eminent Rectors;
Eminent Academicians;
Professors and persons of Culture and Science;
Ladies and Gentlemen;

On the day of the first visit of Prince Aga Khan to an Academy that was wise enough to elect him as one of its members, it is my honor and pleasure to greet His Highness on behalf of the Institution.

Your Highness

Professor Oliveira,
Minister of National Defence, Mr Nuno Severiano Teixeira,
Minister of Culture, Mr Pinto Ribeiro,
Apostolic Nuncio, Rino Passagata,
Excellencies,
Members of the Academy,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is an immense honour for me to be here today and to have been admitted to the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon. It reminds me of the day on which I was given an honorary doctorate from the University of Evora. And I do not want to let this occasion pass, without recollecting that very, very special day.

Exmo. Senhor Professor Oliveira e Arantes
Exmo. Senhor Ministro da Defesa Nacional, Dr. Nuno Severiano Teixeira
Exmo. Senhor Ministro da Cultura, Dr. Pinto Ribeiro
Exmo. Senhor Núncio Apostólico, Rino Passagata
Excelências,
Exmos. Senhores Membros da Academia de Ciências de Lisboa,
Ilustres convidados,
Senhoras e Senhores,

Palavras do Presidente da Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Professor Eduardo Romano de Arantes e Oliveira, proferidas no dia 8 de Maio de 2009, na Cerimónia da Investidura de Sua Alteza, o Príncipe Aga Khan, como Membro Estrangeiro da Academia das Ciências de Lisboa

Alteza;
Senhor Prof. Adriano Moreira, Presidente da Classe de Letras e Vice-presidente da Academia das Ciências;
Senhores Ministros da Defesa e da Cultura
Senhores Reitores;
Eminentes Académicos;
Senhores Professores e homens de Cultura e de Ciência;
Minhas Senhoras e meus Senhores: