Portugal considers Macau and Portuguese living in the SAR a priority: José Cesário

Passing through Macau in a visit that was extended to Guangzhou and Hong Kong, the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities, José Cesário has said that Macau and the Portuguese living in Macau are a priority for the new Portuguese government.

Speaking on the sidelines of a series of events held at the Portuguese Consulate-General yesterday evening, Cesário noted that the Portuguese government is paying attention to the situation of Macau and of the Portuguese and their problems, including the high demand for service from the Consulate and the situation at the Macau Portuguese School (EPM).

Refusing to comment on the school, Cesário said to the media that he would not be visiting the institution this time, but promised to return soon for a visit “when the situation is more peaceful.”

Questioned on what he expects from the new Chief Executive (CE) of Macau, to be elected later this year, the Portuguese government official said he expects no change, noting that Portugal has maintained great relations with Macau governments and with the Chinese authorities, noting that the same “good relationship” is expected to continue.

After a first visit to Guangzhou on Tuesday, to take the pulse of the new consulate, Cesário was in Macau yesterday, having had several meetings including with the Council of the Portuguese Communities, the CE, Ho Iat Seng, the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Association of Retirees and Pensioners of Macau (Associação dos Aposentados, Reformados e Pensionistas de Macau) as well as a visit to the Consulate-General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong.

In the last of the events, Cesário witnessed the signing of a support contract to the local association “Silaba” for the production of a project that involves learning Portuguese language, history, and culture  through pedagogical materials; as well as the Ceremony of Awarding of two Communities Medals of Merit, attributed by the Portuguese government to Wu Zhilei (posthumously) and Tony da Cruz.

During the meetings with the Council of the Portuguese Communities and the Association of Retirees and Pensioners of Macau, topics said to have been in discussion included the waiting time for several services at the Consulate, namely for the renewal of Portuguese Identification Cards and Passports as well as matters related to the update of the retirement pensions, among others of concern to the community.

According to information from the Council of the Portuguese Communities, Cesário accepted that the services of the consulate-general need to improve and indicated that changes have been ongoing and that more will come soon. He also called for time to enforce the new plans and measures that have already been decided, noting that these changes need time for implementation and to prove themselves effective.

Today, Cesário will continue his tour through several institutions of the Portuguese matrix including the BNU Bank, the Holy House of Mercy, Orient Foundation, and International Institute of Macau.

For tomorrow, the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities has scheduled a visit to the University of Saint Joseph in the morning, traveling in the afternoon to the neighboring region of Hong Kong for a series of events at the Club Lusitano.