Macao chief executive to visit Europe to boost cooperation

MACAO -- Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Sam Hou-fai will depart on Friday for official visits to Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Belgium, the SAR government said on Thursday.

According to the Macao SAR government information bureau, Sam will lead delegations of SAR officials and business representatives, with the trip scheduled to conclude on April 26.

The information bureau noted that in Lisbon, Sam will meet with leading officials of Portugal's executive, legislative and judicial branches. In addition to a series of events, a meeting between the chief executive and Macao students studying in Portugal is scheduled.

In Madrid, Sam will visit relevant Spanish officials. The SAR government said it will hold tourism promotion events and economic cooperation forums to broaden the source markets for visitors to Macao, and facilitate business-matching activities.

According to the SAR government, the delegation will travel to Geneva on April 23 to strengthen engagement with international organizations such as the World Trade Organization, and then to Brussels on April 24 to meet with Belgian and European Union officials.