The governments of Portugal and Macau plan to hold annual meetings of the two-way joint committee to discuss cooperation in areas such as justice, tourism, security and teaching the Portuguese language, said a source from the Portuguese Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
The joint committee between Portugal and the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is a tool for consultation and was set up as part of the 2001 framework cooperation agreement, which outlines meetings should be held every two years.
The Foreign Affairs source told Portuguese news agency Lusa that, so far, two official meetings had been held – in April 2011 and September 2013 – as well as an interim meeting in September 2012.
At the most recent meeting “the two sides agreed to hold the meetings more often, and they will now be held annually,” which will be outlined in the protocol to review the framework agreement due to be signed next Saturday in Macau as part of an official visit by the President of Portugal, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, to China.
The Portuguese language is one of the sectors that drives two-way cooperation taking into consideration the role Macau plays as a platform for training in and promotion of the Portuguese language, although Portugal and Macau have also signed a number of protocols in other sectors. (macaunews)
