25 July 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Philippe J. Lhuillier visited the northern city of Paredes on July 4 upon the invitation of Mayor Celso Ferreira.

The Ambassador, along with State for Foreign Affairs and Economic Cooperation Secretary Luis Campos Ferreira of the Portuguese Foreign Minstry, was one of the guest speakers at a business forum organized by the Mayor of Paredes. The city of Paredes in the northern region of Portugal is one of the major producers of furniture in the country.

Prior to the business forum, Philippine Ambassador Lhuillier had a meeting with the Mayor, city officials and State Secretary Campos Ferreira where they discussed the need for closer economic ties between the Philippines and Portugal. During the meeting, the city officials of Paredes expressed their interest to organize a business mission to the Philippines sometime in September 2015. They are interested to see investment opportunities in the Philippines and explore the possibility of joint ventures with companies in the Philippine furniture business. Both sides likewise agreed to work with one another to encourage trade and investment flows between the Philippines and Portugal.

During the business forum, Philippine Ambassador Lhuillier talked about the business and economic opportunities in the Philippines and in the Southeast Asian region. The Ambassador noted how both Philippines and Portugal are well suited as gateways to their respective regional markets, emphasizing on the advantages both countries have as investment destinations over their neighbors in their respective regions. END