MADRID: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Portugal Hamad Al-Hazeem met with senior Portuguese business figures to review preparations for Kuwait’s hosting of the 9th EU-GCC Business Forum, scheduled for November.In a statement to KUNA on Friday, Ambassador Al-Hazeem highlighted the significance of the forum during talks with Portuguese Business Confederation (CIP) President Armindo Monteiro, attended by the confederation’s Director General, Rafael Alves Rocha, at the CIP headquarters in Lisbon.
The Ambassador noted that the Kuwaiti Embassy in Lisbon had sent a formal invitation encouraging the CIP to participate in the event, stressing the importance of the forum as a major economic platform.He underlined that the forum represents a vital opportunity to strengthen commercial cooperation between the GCC and the EU, while also emphasizing the importance of deepening bilateral economic and trade relations between Kuwait and Portugal.
He pointed out that Kuwaiti private and commercial sectors are gaining a stronger presence in the Portuguese market, reflecting Kuwait’s interest in expanding investment partnerships.On his part, Monteiro welcomed Kuwait’s initiative to host the forum, describing it as a strategic platform for opening broader horizons of economic and trade cooperation between the GCC and the EU, stressing that boosting economic relations between Portugal and Kuwait is essential for creating new opportunities for Portuguese companies and enhancing bilateral cooperation to serve the interests of both nations.
Monteiro noted that the CIP, established in 1974 to promote a market economy and private initiatives, is Portugal’s largest and most influential business organization. Representing over 150,000 companies and 1.8 million workers-equivalent to 71 percent of Portugal’s GDP-the confederation operates across multiple sectors nationwide.
The EU-GCC Business Forum serves as a strategic platform to exchange perspectives, explore trade and investment partnerships, and highlight opportunities for non-oil growth in Gulf states in collaboration with European partners. — KUNA
