ASEAN Committee in Lisbon Conducts Symposium on Business Opportunities in ASEAN Economic Community

From Left: Professor Paulo Bento, President of INDEG-ISCTE, Vice-Rector Nuno Guimarães of ISCTE-IUL, Secretary of State for Internationalization Eurico Brilhante Dias of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Celia Anna M. Feria of the Philippines, Ambassador Chakri Srichawana of Thailand and Ambassador Mulya Wirana of Indonesia

22 November 2017 LISBON — The ASEAN Committee Lisbon Portugal (ACLP) composed of 3 ASEAN resident missions in Lisbon, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand organized a symposium entitled “Re-Discovering Southeast Asia: An Introduction to Business Opportunities in the ASEAN Economic Community” at the INDEG-ISCTE, a Business School in Lisbon on November 15.

Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria, the current Chair of the ACLP delivered the overview of ASEAN and encouraged Portuguese businesses to explore the many diverse business opportunities in ASEAN.

“ASEAN’s major growth drivers will present opportunities for Portuguese businesses to take advantage of the region’s growth trajectory.” said Ambassador Feria during her presentation. She highlighted the potential that the ASEAN market may offer to Portuguese businesses by looking at its network of free trade agreements; the growth of its services sector; the development of its regional value chains, ASEAN’s emergence as a foreign direct investment destination, its infrastructure development and connectivity and the upgrading its labor force skills. 

All three ASEAN embassies also gave presentations on their country’s respective markets and business opportunities.

ASEAN’s symposium was attended by more than 60 guests from the Diplomatic Corps, Portuguese Government, Business Sector and the Academe.  END

Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Lisbon Portugal gives an overview of the ASEAN Economic Community

Portuguese Secretary of State Eurico Brilhante Dias during the coffee break where Philippine dried mangoes were featured

For more information, visit www.lisbonpe.dfa.gov.ph.