More diverse opinions means more sensible decisions, Portuguese Consul says

A greater diversity of opinions, expressed by the members of the Advisory Council for the Portuguese consulate for the Macau and Hong Kong area, will contribute to more sensible decisions on matters related to the Portuguese residents in Macau and Hong Kong, as well as in the preparation of recommendations regarding policies aimed at Portuguese communities, the Portuguese Consul-General, Alexandre Leitão, said yesterday in an interview with media outlet TDM Radio Macau.

Leitão was speaking on the sidelines of the first-ever meeting of the Council which, according to the Consul-General, had a positive outcome with the assurance that there is an interest that the body has more regular meetings than the two per year that are the expected frequency.

Jorge Neto Valente, António José de Freitas, Amélia António, Francisco Manhão, Catarina Cortesão, Francisca Beja and the Chancellor of the Consulate General, Ricardo Silva, are some of the names participating in this new body, which takes office for the duration of the term of each new Consul-General.

Leitão will chair the Council, which, besides the advisors mentioned, also includes the advisors of the Portuguese Communities including Rita Santos, Armando de Jesus, and Gilberto Camacho.

The creation of the Council was heavily criticized at the announcement of its inception by lawmaker and president of the board of the Macau Civil Servants’ Association, José Pereira Coutinho, who said that in the past there was never the need for such an advisory mechanism as the Portuguese Communities advisors were taking good care of such matters, an opinion not shared by Leitão or the Portuguese Foreign Affairs Ministry, which supervises the activities of the local consulate.