Portugal has a great deal to offer india

Panaji, Jan 13 (UNI) The President of Portugal, Prof Anibal Cavaco Silva today said the Singular affinities that unite Goa and Portugal can turn the state into a powerful agent in developing closer ties between the two countries and in establishing a new platform of relationships, cooperation and partnerships that would be beneficial in the long run.

''Portugal has a great deal to offer India and India surely has much to offer to Portugal. I believe there is much more we can do together'', he said.

The Portugeese President, who arrived here on a three-day visit, was speaking at a business meeting organised by Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

Prof Silva congratulated the Chamber of commerce for its efforts towards consolidating Goa as a top destination for quality tourism as well as for its suuport to activities having a stronger knowledge content, as in the case of Pharmaceuticals, Information technologies and more recently Biotechnologies.

He said Business leaders must get to know each other better.

''flow of information and communcation between our two countries must be strengthened and politicians must help to create suitable conditions for business to materilize'', he said.

''Portugal is a modern, safe, welcoming country, having an open economy with excellent infrastructure, a highly developed financial system and a business community increasingly oriented towards innovation'', the president added.

He said as a result of the fine relations between Portugal, Africa and latin America, Portuguese companies have channelised a great deal of investments to these economies, particularly to those countries where Portuguese is the official language.

As a memeber of the European Union-currently one of India's main trading partners-Portugal is also a platform providing acess to a consolidated market of 500 million consumers, the President said.

UNI