Lisbon-Goa Charters to start soon

PANAJI — The Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Luis Amado on Tuesday said that the Chartered flights between Lisbon and Goa, which could improve tourist traffic on both sides, will become a reality by the year end, albeit on a limited scale.

Mr Amado, presently on a visit to Goa, speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’ on Tuesday evening said that a hotel belonging to the Turismo de Portugal as well as an office of the TAP Portugal, the national airline of Portugal in Goa would complement these Chartered flights in an effective way. “I will have to talk to the TAP Portugal once I go back to Lisbon,” he added. “Meanwhile,” Mr Amado said, “I am sure, we can begin with some Chartered flights between Lisbon and Goa along the shortest route between the two destinations by the year end.”

Earlier, addressing a gathering of selected invitees at the Portuguese Consulate in the presence of the Ambassador of Portugal to India, Mr Luis Filipe Castro Mendes and the Consul General of Portugal to Goa, Mr Paulo Neves Pocinho, the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs said that the world has today become multi-polar with India and the European Union already becoming two of the important poles.

“In the fast changing scenario of globalisation, Portugal has become an important gateway to promote relations among India and European countries, Latin America as well as Africa,” Mr Amado observed “While Goa will certainly become a door for our companies, institutions and artists.” Goa can become a platform to promote economic growth of India in the future, he pointed out.

Speaking further, Mr Amado said that India could initiate a process of creating a world of tolerance as well as a world of dialogues between civilisations, cultures and religions. “I have arrived in India with an agenda having new topics including discussion on problems of the world and bilateral relations between Portugal and India,” he informed stating that the two countries will fundamentally have an anchor which would facilitate “so many ties.” Stating that past is past and it stands before us, the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs said that in present times we have responsibility as politicians to contribute to the new era of our relationship.

The Speaker, Mr Pratapsingh Rane; the Power Minister, Mr Aleixo Sequeira; the Chief Secretary, Mr J P Singh and the deputy chairman of the State Planning Board, Dr Wilfred de Sousa among others attended the Consulate function organised to welcome Mr Amado.

Courtesy:navhindtimes.com
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