(Macau, 23 November 2023) The Macau European Chamber of Commerce (hereinafter referred to as “MECC” or “the Chamber”) celebrated this evening the tenth anniversary since its foundation in 2013. The Chamber has been a driving force behind cooperation of European businesses in Macau, fostering collaboration and development of the business community. A reception was held at the Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16, celebrating the milestone with distinguished guests and members.
The celebratory reception was attended by more than a hundred members and friends of MECC, and was officiated by Mr. Liu Hui, Director of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region; Ms. Ma Naifan, Director of Policy Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in Macao SAR; and Mr. Sam Lei, Executive Director of The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute.
Throughout the 10 years, MECC has been involved in building connections between European businesses and Macau, as well as building network internationally through the European Business Organization Worldwide Network (EBOWWN), where European Chambers around the globe share best practices in promoting the economic development of their regions. The Chamber has successfully organized governmental meetings, gala dinners and networking events, offering industry professionals a platform of communication to express their interests.
Ambassador Thomas Gnocchi, Head of the EU Office to Hong Kong and Macao and Honorary Chairman of MECC, said in his speech, “The purpose of the event is to bring people together to discuss solutions and actions to achieve the green transition of our economies. The EU has brought down emissions by 25% since 1990, while the economy grew by 60% in the same period. The next targets are clear and ambitious: reducing net emissions by 55% by 2030 and becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. There are synergies between the EU and Macao: the EU is the largest trading partner of Macao and its fourth largest source of foreign investment, which means that the EU business community has a strong presence in the SAR, bringing talent, innovative ideas and green solutions for the diversification and decarbonisation of Macao.”
The President of the Board of Directors of MECC, Mr. Rui Pedro Cunha, said in his speech, “Throughout the years, many people have worked together to make MECC what it is today. To the past Directors, members, sponsors, and government officials, we owe a debt of gratitude for their effort and support in creating this vibrant business community. In the current state of world affairs, international cooperation and partnerships are essential to promote economic growth and development. The “Green Way Macao” event that we co-organized this afternoon was hopefully a good step in the right direction.”
The MECC’s tenth anniversary cocktail event was supported by Banco Nacional Ultramarino, S.A., as Honorary Sponsor, and has received generous sponsorship from multiple companies in the private sector.
In the same afternoon, the third edition of “The Green Way” was held for the first time in Macao, partnering with the European Union Office in Hong Kong and Macao, where leaders from various industries got together to discuss opportunities for green diversification of Macao and shared ideas on how European businesses can contribute to this green process to ensure a sustainable and eco-friendly future for Macao.
