On the last day of his official visit to Japan, Luís Montenegro travelled the approximately 500 kilometre’s between Tokyo and Osaka on the high-speed train, which makes the journey in just over two hours.

"It's a train that reminds us of the importance of high-speed rail, in the case of our country, connecting the two major cities, Lisbon and Porto, but also connecting with Spain and the rest of Europe," he said, speaking to journalists on board.

The Prime Minister emphasised the importance of connecting "all European capitals" by high-speed rail, considering it beneficial "for the economy, for people's mobility, and also for the environment."

When asked when this plan could be implemented in Portugal, Montenegro pledged to "accelerate as much as possible and not delay the implementation" of the project any further.

When asked whether Portuguese politics moves almost as fast as the Japanese "bullet train," on the day a poll was released that put Chega ahead of AD in voting intentions, the head of government left a message.

"Politics is always carried out at high speed, but we must also be aware that those who rush too fast, without knowing which direction they're going, often fail to achieve the desired result. We're very calm in this regard; we don't want to waste time, but we also don't want to rush anything," he stated.

Regarding the high-speed rail project in Portugal, the Prime Minister explained that the Lisbon-Porto link is already "under construction, in preparatory stages for the physical work".

Montenegro added that, after this link, and the planned Porto-Vigo link, which is "already on the ground," the Lisbon-Madrid link will be built, directly connecting the future Luís de Camões Airport to the Spanish capital.

"Rail transport has the advantage of being fast and also very environmentally friendly," he emphasized.

The Prime Minister concludes a two-day official visit to Japan today, with a program at the Osaka Expo.

Montenegro arrived in Beijing on Monday, where he made a two-day official visit to China, stopping in Macau, before continuing on to Tokyo, where on Thursday, he met with his Japanese counterpart, businesspeople, and athletes who will represent Portugal in the World Athletics Championships.

Today, the Prime Minister will visit the Portuguese and Japanese pavilions at the Osaka Expo, which ends on October 13th.

Portugal is one of 161 countries present at the exhibition dedicated to the theme: "Designing Future Societies for Our Lives."

Portugal's participation in the exhibition is themed "Ocean: Blue Dialogue," with the involvement of more than 150 companies, associations, municipalities, and national artists.