EU-Macau Committee marks milestone in training cooperation

The 20th European Union (EU)-Macau Joint Committee meet-
ing, held here on Friday, concluded with the announcement of further cooperation in the fields of legal training and innovation.
The meeting allowed the two partners to review the latest developments in their relationship, to recognize existing efforts in bilateral co-operation, and to explore areas for further collaboration.
The delegation from Macau was led by Raimundo Rosário, the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, while the EU delegation was led by Ugo Astuto, the Acting Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service.
Both delegations commended the cooperation between the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau and the Directorate-General for Interpretation of the European Commission for the training of qualified interpreters in the MSAR.
The delegations noted that the program satisfies the joint needs of Macau and the EU for qualified interpreters of both Chinese and Portuguese.
A memorandum for a new phase of a five-year training program for interpretation services was signed earlier this month, following the conclusions of two previous arrangements, the first of which began in 2010.
The legal field was another area that saw enhanced cooperation at the Joint Committee meeting. The Third Macau-
EU Co-operation Program in the Legal Field was adopted, seeking to strengthen Macau’s legal system and to improve training for legal practitioners.
In addition, the two delegations launched a new phase in cooperation in the field of research and innovation, promoting the participation of Macau’s research institutions and researchers in the EU’s Horizon 2020 program.
Both sides expressed their willingness to extend cooperation into new areas of mutual interest, including information exchange in combatting human trafficking.Staff reporter