Portuguese President visits Macao

(Macao – 14 February) The President of the Republic of Portugal, Mr Jorge Sampaio, is scheduled to arrive in Macao SAR on Sunday 16 January for a two-day visit. During his stay in the MSAR, Mr Sampaio will meet with the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, and attend a banquet hosted by Mr Ho. Mr Sampaio will pay visits to the Portuguese School, the Oriental Portuguese Institute of the Orient (Instituto Português do Oriente) on the morning of 17 January, and attend a luncheon hosted by the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam. He will also visit some famous Macao landmarks, including the A-Ma Statue and the A-Ma Cultural Village on Coloane Island, the Ruins of St Paul’s Church and Senado Square in the centre of the city. Mr Sampaio and his wife, Ms Maria Rita Sampaio will host a banquet for the Portuguese community at the residence of the Portuguese Consul General in Macao on the evening of 17 January. Mr Sampaio will be accompanied by more then 100 Portugal entrepreneurs, who will attend a trade fair jointly organised by the Trade and Economy Promotion Institute of Portugal, the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province and the Trade and Investment Promotion Institute of Macao. The Executive Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Tang Bingquan, Mr Francis Tam and the Portuguese Minister of State and Minister of Economy Activities and Work, Mr Antonio Barreto, will accompanied Mr Sampaio on his visits in Macao. Mr Sampaio is on an official visit to China at the invitation of the President, Mr Hu Jintao. Macao is the last stop on this visit. The entourage include his wife, Ms Maria Rita Sampaio, The President of the Supreme Court of Administration, Manuel Santos Serra; the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Portuguese Communities Abroad, Mr António Monteiro and Portugal’s Ambassador to China, Mr Santana Carlos. Mr Sampaio last visited Macao was in December 1999.