The Hindu Business Line : Call for strategic Indo-Portugese partnerships

The President of the Portuguese Republic, Prof Anibal Cavaco Silva, has urged Indian and Portuguese business to forge strategic partnerships in sectors such as IT, robotics, communications, biotechnology, tourism and banking services, engineering, moulds and construction.

Bilateral cooperation

In his keynote address at a business meeting organised jointly by the FICCI, CII and Assocham, Prof Silva said: "Relations between Portugal and India in the economic field and in bilateral cooperation have remained far below their potential. We must, therefore, mobilise the will of our political, economic, cultural and scientific communities to a greater extent".

He said business leaders on both sides need to know each other better. Flows of information and communication between the two countries need to be strengthened and politicians must contribute by creating suitable conditions for business to materialise.

Open economy

Portugal, he said, was a modern, safe, welcoming country, had an open economy with excellent infrastructures, a solid, sophisticated financial system and a business community increasingly geared towards innovation.

"Portugal sees India's economic and political emergence as a natural process in view of the country's enormous resources and potential. The remarkable progress made by India is worthy of admiration and respect, and it warrants the best cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels," he pointed out.

The Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr Anand Sharma, said the key sectors that offered opportunities for fruitful cooperation and partnership between Indian and Portugal are IT, biotechnology, agribusiness and food processing, tourism, textiles, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

"To make our economic cooperation more robust, we need to facilitate the movement of businesspersons, professionals and tourists," hesaid.

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