The Portuguese government expressed on Monday its concern over growing insecurity of its citizens in Mozambique after the abduction and murder of businessman Jose Paulo Antunes Caetano.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the ministry's Director General of Foreign Policy Pedro da Costa Pereira told Mozambican Ambassador to Portugal Joaquim Bule that the perception has unfortunately been reinforced by several episodes marked by the disappearance or death of Portuguese citizens in the African country.

Portugal attached priority to the security conditions in which the large Portuguese community in Mozambique lives. The community has contributed significantly to the economic and social development of Mozambique, the statement said.

In order to ensure the security of the Portuguese in Mozambique, the Portuguese government expressed its commitment to explore with the Mozambican authorities the potential of the existing set of bilateral instruments and the possibility of creating new mechanisms to allow an adequate exchange of information between the two countries, it said.

The abducted Portuguese businessman was found dead on Sunday near Maputo, capital of Mozambique, after the required ransom was paid shortly after his abduction on Friday.

Another entrepreneur Americo Sebastiao was abducted and remains missing since July 29, 2016, in Nhamapadza, Maringue district, central Mozambique.

Portugal has repeatedly offered judicial cooperation with Mozambique to try to locate the missing businessman but the Mozambican authorities have refused, Portugal's Lusa News Agency reported.