Portuguese ambassador promotes trade ties with Turkey

Portugal and Turkey countries could benefit from sharing the best business practices they have developed over many years and help each other out in markets where they have developed competitive leads, according to Portuguese Ambassador in Ankara Luisa Bastos de Almeida. Speaking in an interview this week, de Almeida said it was a blessing for both Turkey and Portugal to have diversified export markets, especially after major contraction in the European Union market. "After the global economic crisis, European countries – small and big – have been trying desperately to reach out to other markets in order to diversify their export portfolios," said the ambassador. "We are lucky in a sense that we had Portuguese-speaking countries to expand our markets (to) and Turkey has special ties with countries from Ottoman times." She underlined that amid a slump in exports to EU member countries during the economic crisis, Portuguese has sought new markets, and seen a rise in exports to third-party countries. She said Portugal enjoys very good relations with African nations and is working hard to do the same in Turkey as well in terms of boosting trade ties.