The Third Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries officially opened in Macao today.

More than 1,500 senior officials and business leaders from China, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Timor-Leste attended the opening ceremony held at Macao East Asian Games Dome this morning.

The Premier, Mr Wen Jiabao, delivered a keynote speech and the President of Timor-Leste, Mr José Ramos Horta, the Prime Minister of Portugal, Mr José Sócrates, the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau, Mr Carlos Gomes Júnior, the Prime Minister of Mozambique, Mr Aires Bonifácio, the Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Telecommunication of Cape Verde, Mr Manuel Inocêncio Sousa, the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Angola, Mr Abrahão Pio dos Santos Gourgel, and the Undersecretary General of Economic and Technological Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Mr Pedro Luíz Carneiro de Mendonça, also made addresses.

In his speech, Minister of Commerce Mr Chen Deming said since the initiation of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries in 2003, it had become an important co-operation and communication platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.

The opening of the Third Ministerial Conference would comprehensively enhance co-operation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries and contribute to the growth of global economy in a robust, sustainable and balanced way, Mr Chen said.

During the forum China and the seven Portuguese-speaking countries would formulate plans for co-operation between 2010 and 2013 and sign relevant agreements.