Otacílio Soares, president of the Luso-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCILB), was present at the official celebrations of the 204th anniversary of Brazil's Independence, on September 7th, at the Official Residence of the Ambassador of Brazil in Portugal, in Lisbon. The event was promoted by Ambassador Raimundo Carreiro and Ambassadress Maria José de Ávila, bringing together Portuguese and Brazilian authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the Luso-Brazilian community and institutional guests, including former President of the Portuguese Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
In an interview granted to Agência Incomparáveis as part of the event, Otacílio Soares considered that relations between Brazil and Portugal have entered a phase of "maturity," with greater balance and a more concrete economic dimension. The official noted that the relationship is no longer based solely on history, language or cultural ties, and that there is now a very concrete economic, business and human relationship, with Brazilian companies using Portugal as a gateway to Europe and Portuguese companies finding in Brazil a large market.
Soares, re-elected president of the CCILB for the 2025-2026 term, advocated for the complementarity between the two economies, highlighting that Portugal offers stability, European integration and a strategic geographic position, while Brazil offers scale, natural resources and a relevant consumer market. However, he warned of challenges such as bureaucratic, fiscal, regulatory and cultural issues, arguing that the institution has an important role in helping companies better understand markets and avoid mistakes due to lack of information.
The president of the CCILB positively assessed the event in Lisbon, considering that gatherings of this nature help bring together institutional representatives and economic agents. He also highlighted the importance of creating more efficient support mechanisms for small and medium-sized enterprises in the internationalization process, identifying sectors with growth potential such as technology, energy, industry, tourism, agribusiness, financial services and the digital economy. Regarding the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, Soares considered it will be an extraordinary opportunity for tourism, international promotion and bringing Brazilians and Portuguese closer together.
