European and Portuguese-speaking countries have expressed an extraordinary enthusiasm in the Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) slated for Oct. 21 to 24 this year, the organizers said here Tuesday.

Lee Peng Hong, president of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute said that the effect of the Mainland/Macao Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) and the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries has enhanced the importance of MIF, which entered the ninth session this year.

Macao's role as a bridge for economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries has been formalized at the forum sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and held in Macao in October last year.

MIF will become a trade platform for enterprises from China's mainland and Portuguese speaking countries, as it will be the first major international trade event held in Macao after the implementation of CEPA on Jan. 1 this year, said Lee.

All seven members of the forum from Portuguese-speaking countries will bring their home-made agricultural products, food and handicrafts to the fair, which is expected to draw 70 trade delegations from over 30 countries and regions.

According to Pansy Ho, chairman of the organizing committee of the fair, this year's fair would be the largest in scale and the best in quality.

Consulates of America, Germany, South Africa, Madagascar, Argentina in Hong Kong and Macao will hold trade and investment presentations at the fair, during which a number of forums for medium and small-sized firms, young entrepreneurs and real estate firms will be held.

High-tech and convention businesses from Germany and construction and engineering companies from the UK will present atthe fair.

The fair is the largest annual international economic and tradeevent in Macao. Last year's session drew a record number of 90,000visitors in four days.

Source: Xinhua