The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, and the Portuguese Foreign Minister, Mr Luís Filipe Marques Amado, jointly announced today that Macao and Portugal would hold a meeting in Macau to enhance co-operation towards the end of this year. On arrival in Lisbon, Mr Chui and the high ranking official delegation held a working meeting with Mr Amado and their Portuguese counterparts to exchange opinions on enhancing mutual co-operation. Mr Chui and Mr Marques Amado jointly met the press after the meeting. Mr Chui said the Portuguese had a long history in Macao and that they were one of the most important parts that made up Macao. He said as there was an increasing number of Portuguese enterprises in Macao, the SAR Government would continuously and dedicatedly act as a service platform that would help them open new markets in China. Mr Chui also said the Government would continually give support to the Portuguese School in Macao. The School was very important to the Portuguese community and the Government would invest more resources to support its future development. He re-iterated that the Government would not interfere in its internal affairs. The Foreign Minister said he was happy to receive Mr Chui and the Macao delegation; he said Mr Chui’s maiden trip as Chief Executive would definitely strengthen the relationship between Macao and Portugal. Portugal valued very highly the relationship with China, Mr Amado said, and his country would make use of Macao, which has been performing an important role on economic and political aspects, to strengthen co-operation with China. Under “The Co-operation Framework Agreement between the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Portuguese Republic”, Macao and Portugal would hold a meeting in Macao at the end of this year to discuss bilateral co-operation on business, tourism, education and culture, he said, adding that he hoped the meeting would be held every year. During the visit, Mr Chui officiated the opening of the “Macao week in Lisbon” to promote Macao.
