2018 WITH INCREASED CAPITAL OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT SINCE THE CREATION OF AICEP

The Minister of Foreign Affairs announced today that "2018 was the most fertile year in attracting foreign direct investment in Portugal since the constitution of AICEP", praising the vast and significant results of the Portuguese diplomacy last year.

Augusto Santos Silva was the first to speak today at the end of the afternoon at the ceremony of New Year greetings to the President of the Republic of the heads of mission, ambassadors and consuls-general of Portugal accredited to various states and international organizations, in Lisbon, noting that the "results of the Portuguese diplomacy in 2018 are very vast and very relevant, whatever the angle" that is considered.

"If we look at other very important areas of our external policy, namely from the point of view of investment capture, then 2018 was the most fertile year in attracting foreign direct investment in Portugal since the constitution of AICEP (Investment and Foreign Trade of Portugal Agency)", revealed.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, "more than 1200 million euros were collected during 2018”. 

According to the official website of AICEP, this resulted from the merger, in 2007, between the API (Portuguese Investment Agency) and the ICEP (Institute of Foreign Trade of Portugal).

"(2018) It was the year in which the weight of our exports in the product rose to its highest value, 43%, and the perspective is that it continues to increase", said the minister.

To Augusto Santos Silva, "the best way to guarantee good successes in the year that is now beginning is to remember the results of the year that has now ended”.

The minister recalled the election of António Vitorino to the International Organization of Migration, the importance of Portuguese diplomacy in the election of Mário Centeno to the Eurogroup, and also singled out, within the scope of the CPLP, the "two very important visits of the President of the Republic of Angola to Portugal and the Prime Minister of Portugal to Luanda".

"If we look from the point of view of other bilateral relationships, then 2018 was a full year," he said, noting Portugal's role as a pivot as part of the European order and international order”.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressing Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, justified the recall of these facts as being "the best guarantee of excellence" of Portuguese diplomacy and also "the best guarantee of the commitment for 2019".

"But I also remember these facts to thank you, Mr. President, personally because these successes, these results have two essential reasons. The first reason is the total articulation, I would say the perfect harmony, between the Presidency of the Republic and the Government in what refers to foreign policy," he praised.

This harmony, according to Santos Silva, "gives a coherence and an absolutely impressive force to foreign policy".

"But the second reason is the specific role of the President of the Republic regarding essential components of the projection of our image and of our role of the world," he said.