Portuguese and French officials met earlier this week at the Portuguese Embassy in France to discuss the developing business relationship between the two countries, and the growing French investments in Portugal which are expected to continue through the year.
Bernard Chantrelle, president of the Portuguese-French Chamber of Commerce in Lisbon, was one of the people who put France’s ‘good-feeling’ towards Portugal into words.
Speaking at the meeting organised by Portugal Outsourcing association, Chantrelle said Portugal was “a very interesting country for France both on financial terms, as well in as the way we are received due to the great cultural proximity between our two peoples”.
His words may explain why António Silva, the economic advisor at the Portuguese Embassy and the head of the AICEP delegation in France, predicts a positive year for the country in terms of French investment.
“French companies are very much interested in Portugal,” he said. France is Portugal’s second best economic and commercial partner, and although it is only the country’s fourth best source of tourists, they are the ones that spend most money per capita in Portugal, he added.
But the encouraging words did not end here.
Albeit showing restraint and generalising his commentary to all foreign markets, Pedro Gonçalves, Secretary of State of Innovation, Investment and Competitiveness, told Expresso newspaper that the government tries hard to implement multinational companies which he considers “hubs for knowledge, technology, and qualified work, which offer a high scale of employability”.
