Mario Jesus dos Santos, the ambassador of Portugal to Ukraine, is not a newbie to the diplomatic world. Having graduated with a degree in economics, the 61-year-old diplomat started his career with the government of Portugal at the age of 27.
He came to Ukraine with a brave mission of transforming the relationships between the countries “from good understanding on the political level to a business success.”
In his interview to Kyiv Post, Santos discussed what needs to be done to attract the Portuguese investors to Ukraine and why the Ukrainians make up one of the largest immigrant communities in Portugal.
Kyiv Post: How would you characterize the relationship between Portugal and Ukraine?
MS: While there is a good understanding on the intergovernmental level between our countries, trade and business haven’t caught up with that level yet. Portuguese investment to Ukraine amounts only to $14.5 million. There are three major Portuguese investors in Ukraine: Cement factory in Odesa, Fapomed surgical cloths producer in Rivne and Petrometal Ucrania that makes fuel tanks in Kharkiv.
Together with the new ambassador of Ukraine in Portugal, we want to change the situation even if, probably, I won’t see the relationships blossom during the time that I serve as ambassador in Ukraine. In a couple of weeks a Ukrainian mission will go to Portugal to make contacts with the Portuguese businesses. And we hope that there will be a return visit by the Portuguese mission who would come to Ukraine in May.
The potential interests are in renewable energy, aeronautics, services, consulting, banking, retail and tourism.
Portugal is also a small country that has its traditional markets, namely European Union, Brazil and some parts of Africa. Portuguese businesses are just starting to discover the importance of this [Eastern European] region.
KP: Ukraine is indeed a peculiar environment for foreign investors. What challenges do Portuguese investors face in Ukraine?
MS: Investors want to see improvement in the judiciary area so they can feel confident about their businesses. If Ukraine wants to become a part of the European Union it needs to adopt European standards. Generally, we would appreciate if democracy, judiciary and the rule of law in this country is improved.
KP: With the new government in place do you see any changes in Ukraine’s business climate?
MS: Things are changing, not always for the good. Eliminating corruption completely, for example, is an illusion for Ukraine, Portugal or any other country. What’s important is that the country is equipped with the tools to fight this corruption, such as strong judiciary systems.
Also justice can’t be utilized for political struggles. These are our main concerns now.
KP: How does the Portuguese community look like in Ukraine?
MS: There is no more than 30-40 Portuguese in Ukraine. Most of them work either for Portuguese investments, international companies or in the diplomatic mission here.
KP: How about the Ukrainian community in Portugal?
MS: As many as 52, 000 Ukrainians live legally in Portugal and up to 30,000 more might be staying in the country illegally. Ukrainians make up the second largest foreign community in Portugal after the Brazilians. Since Brazil was our former colony, it’s not surprising for us that we have many Brazilians.
Ukrainians, however, came to our country during the last 10 years looking for jobs and a better life. Most of them are well-integrated into the society, speak Portuguese, have a reputation for having an education and are also known to be hard workers. I’m planning to visit Ternopil soon as it is known to be the region from where many Ukrainians came.
I’m proud to say that even though we have a 10 percent unemployment rate now in Portugal, there is no xenophobia or discrimination against them. From time to time Ukrainians appear on television when they celebrate their traditional holidays and that’s how the Portuguese learn about their culture and background.
KP: It seems like we still don’t know much about each other’s culture. What do you know about the cultural exchange between our countries?
MS: There are Ukrainian folk dance groups that stop by in Portugal to perform when they go on a tour to Spain. This is the seventh year when we will bring Portuguese cinema week to Ukraine in June. We also once brought Helder Moutinho, a Portuguese guitar performer, to the Gogol Fest in Ukraine.
I would like to do more, but unfortunately the embassy operates on a very limited budget.
KP: Is the Carnival that will begin in March a good way to learn about Portugal?
MS: Carnival, which is celebrated right before Lent, is marked in many Christian countries. It’s a period when people enjoy themselves before they devote 40 days to prayer and self-denial. In Portugal, Carnival shows the mood of society.
During Carnival in Lisbon, people decorate the streetcars, satirizing politicians and the problems in society. Now there is also a big influence of Brazil on our carnivals, such as Brazilian music, samba and half-naked dancers.
ABOUT PORTUGAL:
Population: 10.7 million
Territory: 92,090 square kilometers
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Atlantic Ocean west of Spain.
GDP (purchasing power parity per-capita): $23,113 (in 2010).
Unemployment rate: 10.7 percent (in 2010)
Industries: textiles, clothing, footwear, wood and cork, paper, chemicals, auto-parts manufacturing, base metals, diary products, wine and other foods, porcelain and ceramics, glassware, technology, telecommunications; ship construction and refurbishment; tourism.
Predominant religion: Roman Catholic (some 84% of the population is Catholic).
Portuguese is spoken by 230 million people and is the official language in nine countries, including Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Mozambique.
Portuguese investment to Ukraine: $145 million.
Companies with Portuguese capital on the Ukrainian market: 15.
Bilateral trade: $21,7 million (in 2009)
Facts about Portugal:
Bartholomew Diaz, a Portuguese explorer, was the first person to sail round the southern tip of Africa, which he named the Cape of Good Hope.
Pedro Alvarez Cabral, a Portuguese, discovered Brazil which was Portuguese colony until 1822.
The oldest alliance in the world, still in force, is the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, signed in 1373.
At the end of the 1490s Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India.
(Sources: CIA Fact book, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, State Committee of Statistics of Ukraine, www.gekkoportugal.com)
Read also ‘Ukraine, Portugal travel mostly a one-way street‘.
Kyiv Post staff writer Katya Grushenko can be reached at [email protected]
