The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, today said the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government would firmly implement the initiatives outlined during the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), the latter a body known as Forum Macao.

This would be in a bid to foster economic and commercial cooperation, and exchange between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, said Mr Ho.

Mr Ho made the remarks at a dinner reception in honour of those leaders of the Portuguese-speaking countries and heads of those delegations in Macao to attend the Ministerial Conference.

In his speech, Mr Ho also mentioned the MSAR Government’s determined effort to push forward the integrated development of the MSAR and the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, while advancing Macao’s platform role serving China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

The Chief Executive said 2024 was an important year for cooperation and exchange between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, as it marked the beginning of the third decade of Forum Macao, as well as marking the success of the latest Ministerial Conference.

Mr Ho expressed his thanks respectively, to the Central Government for its support, and to the representatives of Portuguese-speaking countries, and relevant departments, and to all the guests present, for their attention and participation. All these inputs were indispensable to the success of the Ministerial Conference.

The fruitful outcomes of the Ministerial Conference would present fresh development opportunities for the various parties involved, said Mr Ho.

Mr Ho also wished every success to the Ministerial Conference’s complementary activity, i.e., the Entrepreneur Conference to be held on Tuesday (23 April).

Thanks to the continuous support and coordination of the various parties involved, the numerous activities of the 6th Ministerial Conference of Forum Macao would be crowned with success, and cooperation and commercial exchange between China and Portuguese-speaking countries would continue to strengthen, Mr Ho added.