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Speech by Mr. Nobutaka Shionomiya,
His Excellency Mr. Paulo Portas, Minister for Foreign Affairs,
It is an honor for me to sign this important Convention today. The Convention had long been our pending issue to be addressed. Nevertheless, we have successfully reached this day of signing, only six months after we began the official negotiation in June. Such a rapid progress in negotiation shows the enthusiastic efforts of both governments towards a tighter economic relation between our two countries.
I thank His Excellency Mr. Paul Nuncio, Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Freitas Ferraz, Ambassador of Portugal to Japan, and to all the persons concerned in the Portuguese government for their valuable efforts and contribution.
Currently, there are only about fifty Japanese companies investing in Portugal, and only two Portuguese companies to Japan. Though both of our economy is not in a best state, our economic relations have much more potential. The Convention signed in such a situation is quite significant, since it will contribute to form a basis for the promotion of our mutual investment. To attain this goal, we should continue in making concrete efforts together.
I hope the Convention will thus form an epoch in the economic relation and finally in the long existing friendly relationship between Japan and Portugal.
Thank you very much.
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