The Secretary of State for Internationalization and Portuguese Communities, as well as the President of AICEP, attended the seminar “Economic Cycle in Latin America: Strategic Projects”.

On January 25, 2017, IPDAL co-organized with BBVA bank an initiative to present, to large Portuguese companies, the main development projects of a group of Latin American countries. The initiative also had the support of the Portuguese Textile and Clothing Association (ATP) and the Selectiva Moda Association.

At the Porto Commercial Association, host and partner of the seminar, the ambassadors of Argentina, Cuba, Peru and Uruguay, accompanied by the President of the Luso-Colombian Chamber of Commerce, explained the most important strategic investments that their respective countries have in their portfolio for next years.

The session was inaugurated by the President of IPDAL, Paulo Neves, together with the President of the Porto Commercial Association, Nuno Botelho, and the Chief Economist of BBVA, Juan Ruiz.

Two case studies of Portuguese experiences in Latin America were also presented: ATP referred to the growing importance of the region for national industry, while CEiiA, an engineering and product development center, mentioned its partnership with large Brazilian entities.

The representative of CAF – Development Bank of Latin America, who specifically traveled from Madrid to participate in this IPDAL initiative, listed some of the bank’s emblematic projects in Latin America, in addition to explaining the region’s expected economic development.

At the end of the Seminar, the President of AICEP, Miguel Frasquilho, reiterated the importance of market diversification for Portuguese companies and praised the effort that has been made to develop economic relations with Latin America.

The Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities, José Luís Carneiro, added that Portugal has already achieved positive results in terms of internationalization, but that we can and must go further, taking advantage of the business dynamics and the influence of our communities abroad.

Jorge Costa Oliveira, Secretary of State for Internationalization, considers Latin America a hub of interest and added that he intends to strengthen relations with the various countries in this region, as the opportunities are immense.