Business Forum Portugal-Croatia: President of Croatia to be Guest of Honour

The President of Croatia will be the Guest of Honour at Friday’s Business Forum Portugal-Croatia.

Organised by the AEP – The Portuguese Business Association, the Fundação AIP (Portuguese Association for Industry), the Portuguese-Croatian Chamber of Commerce, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), the Croatian Embassy in Portugal and Portugal’s foreign investment agency aicep Portugal Global, the event will take place at the Lisbon Congress Centre (Centro de Congressos de Lisboa) and will be attended by the President of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.

Starting at 11am, the forum aims to boost business relations and opportunities between the two countries via businesses sharing their experiences in doing business in both countries.

Although the economic relationship between the two countries is in its infancy, bi-lateral links are growing. In the first quarter of 2018, Portuguese exports of goods and services to Croatia enjoyed a 145% uptick compared to the same period in 2017, far higher than the total increase in Portuguese exports on 2017 to all markets worldwide (+8,1%). There has also been an increase in the number of Portuguese economic agents in that market which now number some 200 operators — up 50% on 2012.

The Forum closing session will involve keynote speeches from the Secretary of State for Internationalisation, Eurico Brilhante Dias, the President of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and the President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Luka Burilović.

Companies already doing business in both countries or interested in building trade links will also get the chance to network at 14.30.