President of the Council of Ministers
When Ernesto Hintze Ribeiro became President of the Council of Ministers (now Prime Minister) in 1903, he asked Venceslau de Lima to assume the post of Minister for Foreign Affairs, which he did. During his tenure there were marked improvements in Portugal's relations with the United Kingdom and a commercial treaty was signed with Germany. Lima continued in the office into 1905, despite the fact José Luciano de Castro had replaced Hintze Ribero as President of the Council of Ministers.