Emphasising on tourism as a common factor shared by Portugal and Goa, Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa on Saturday said he wanted to promote sustainable tourism and trade between both places.
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Addressing the inaugural function at a conference on ‘Sustainable development in Goa in the 21st century’, here, Costa also called upon Goans living all over the world to promote Goan culture.
Stating that his father was very much Goan, Costa said he accepted the fact that he was Goan first. “That is the reason why I had been to Goa earlier this year. I have been to many countries, but when I visited Goa, it was an emotional trip for me. It was the most extraordinary visit for me, as my roots are in Goa,” said the prime minister.
“Tourism is a common factor shared by Goa and Portugal. I want to promote sustainable tourism between both places,” he added.
Describing Portugal as a smaller country compared to India, Costa hoped that both countries could promote trade, so that Portuguese companies could invest in India and vice versa.
In his inaugural address, President of Casa de Goa Edgar Valles said his association represented the vibrant Goan community in Portugal and is estimated to have around 20,000 members.
“It is not sufficient only to know the situation, it is also necessary to contribute to the solution of the problems affecting Goa. One can be a Portuguese citizen and at same time play a positive role regarding the place of origin, in this case Goa,” said Valles.
After the inaugural function, research, personal accounts, suggestions and aspirations on culture and education, economic development and environment in Goa were shared by speakers across the world.
Prof Antonio Pascoal spoke on “Marine robotics for ocean exploration A joint India-Portugal endeavour”, focussing his work done jointly by the National Institute of Oceanography at Dona Paula and the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) over the past 15 years. He highlighted the main achievements and their scientific, commercial, and societal impact. Speaking on the “Declassification of coconut tree; impact on ecosystem and human well-being”, Filipe Monteiro recalled the Goan society’s fight against the government’s decision to declassify the coconut tree.
Other delegates who presented their papers at the conference included Rabi Martins (Goan diaspora: dilemma, challenges and contributions), Richard Dias (Nitol Goem, a myth or reality), Armando Gonçalves/Shaeen Gomes (Local heritage for Goa’s quintessential development), Rosa Maria Perez (A long-term field work in Goa and the ambiguity of the anthropological analysis), Avertino Miranda/Caroline Colaço (Goan people’s struggle to save its environment), Darryl Pereira (Resource management for Goa), Chantelle Gomez (Raising awareness through art), Elvis Goes (The complexity of Goan Identity “The Full Circle”), Henrique Machado Jorge (The spiritual side of Goanity) and Altino Álvares (Diáspora Indiana de Portugal – networking).
