The former Mozambican head of state, Joaquim Chissano, was awarded the Career Prize at the Lusophony Awards Gala, at a ceremony held on Saturday night in the Portuguese capital.

This is an annual event described as "a moment of celebration of art, culture and citizenship within the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)", an organization made up of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor.

Chissano, who served as Mozambique's head of state (from November 1986 to February 2005), is also recognized for his brilliant political career, both nationally and internationally.

The patron of the Joaquim Chissano Foundation was awarded at this gala "in recognition of his important role in building peace, reconciliation, reconstruction, democratization and development in the Republic of Mozambique," according to the event's organizers.

"The award of the 'Lusofonia Prize 2023 - Career Prize' to Joaquim Alberto Chissano is the corollary of a life dedicated to the Mozambican people, to the global public good and to Portuguese-speaking citizenship," said the organizers of the gala, quoted by AIM.

Joaquim Chissano was born in Chibuto, Gaza province, southern Mozambique, on October 22, 1939 and arrived in Portugal in 1961 to study medicine. However, his actions in relation to the colonial regime in Mozambique led him to leave for France.

In 1962, in Tanzania, he was one of the personalities involved in founding the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO). Frelimo has been the ruling party since independence in 1975.

After April 25 in Portugal (Carnation Revolution), Joaquim Chissano played an important role in the negotiations between Frelimo and the Portuguese government, which led to Mozambique's independence.

In the transitional government in Mozambique, he became Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in the government led by Samora Machel.