Portugal has potentials in different fields including that in the economic sector as it is known for the producer of grape for good quality wine besides the industries of tourism, automotive, aviation and paper, the president told ANTARA News here over the weekend.
To promote his country potentials, the president who would be for the first time to visit Indonesia considered important to develop cooperation not only between the two countries' governments but also the two peoples from different circles including businesspeople and journalists who are likewise to promote their respective cultures .
He believed that the bilateral relations and cooperation in different sectors would develop well as the two countries and peoples have long historical and cultural ties for more than 500 years as Portugal came to Indonesia for the first time in 1509.
Among vidences showing the two countries strong relations is that they have already same words and meanings like banco/bangku (chair), bola (ball), boneca/boneka (doll), tabela/meja (table), quejo/keju (cheese), sapato/sepatu (shoes), roda (wheel), escola/sekolah (school), bandeira/bendera (flag), domingo/minggu (Sunday), janela/jendela (window) and garpu (fork).
In an effort to develop the bilateral economic relations, the cooperation between the two countries' chambers of commerce and industry was inaugurated by Indonesia's Ambassador to Portugal Albert Matondang in Lisbon last week.
Also in a bid to develop people-to-people contact and promote the two countries' relations, President Anibal asked visiting Indonesian journalists and mass media to help inform the Indonesian people about Portugal's potentials including its contribution to help create peace and harmony among countries in the world.
The president said Portugal would ask Indonesia to continue giving contribution to the creation of peace and harmony in the world from their respective roles at the United Nations through dialogs and concrete actions.
Besides with Indonesia, Portugal would also enhance cooperation among all the European Union countries on an effort to give contribution to solving problems in a number of countries like Sudan and South Sudan as well as North Africa, said the president who was Portugal's prime minister from 1985-1995.
Anibal Caco Silva, 72, was elected president of Portuguese Republic by universa, suffrage in 2006 and re-elected in 2011, standing as an independent candidate. He was prime minister from 1985 to 1995, being the only political leader to achieve two consecutive absolute majorities.
The longest-serving Portuguese Prime Minister under democracy, Prof. Cavaco Silva left a mark of determination and firmness in the application of a vast number of structural reforms in his country.
His name remains associated with the longest-lasing period of political stability in Portugal in recent decades, a cycle of modernization and great economic and social change, promoting efficiency through competitiveness, updating industry and upgrading infrastructures for economic progress, encouraging foreign investment, opening up markets to trade and modernizing the stock market.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Marzuki Alie said the House welcome the upcoming visit of Portugal's visit to Indonesia. The visit is expected to develop the two countries' relations. (*)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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