Ambassador Lhuillier travels to Porto; talks business with city heads

Continuing his official visits to different key cities all over Portugal, Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Philippe J. Lhuillier the country's envoy to the country stopped over Porto to meet up with the key officials to promote the Embassy's program on building economic and cultural ties between the host country’s key cities and the Philippines.

“Porto, after Lisbon, is one of the most important cities in Portugal. It is also where the commercial and financial institution in Northern Portugal lie, and where 70 percent of the country’s exports products are made.

The Philippines can benefit from this partnership with the city, economically and culturally. We can learn a lot about a country’s history and culture through its products. Filipinos can eventually learn the other facet of Magellan’s expedition, and eventual discovery, of the Philippines,” said Amb. Lhuillier.

The Ambassador was welcomed into the city by councilor Engr. Filipe Araújo. Araújo welcomed Ambassador Lhuillier’s intention to enhance links and cultivate relations between the Philippines and Porto, and gave assurances that he would endorse to the Mayor and the City Council the Embassy’s proposal to establish a sister-city agreement between Porto and a major city in the Philippines.

He also welcomed the Embassy’s plan to appoint a Philippine Honorary Consul in Porto to help the Embassy in its economic and cultural promotion activities, and to attend to Filipino seafarers working on ships that regularly dock in Porto throughout the year.

The ambassador also paid a visit to the Associação Empresarial de Portugal (AEP) or the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and met with its Chairman, Dr. José Antonio Barros.