The Head of Mission of Portugal in Pakistan

Evolve: Please share your journey with us before coming to Pakistan and what will be your main focus as an ambassador? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: During my diplomatic career I have been posted, respectively, in China, (Beijing), Germany (Bonn and Berlin), Brazil (as Consul-General in Salvador-Bahia) and Romania (Bucharest). Before coming to Pakistan I spent three years in Ottawa, Canada, as Deputy Head of Mission of the Portuguese Embassy.

In Pakistan, I look forward to consolidate our relations in all areas, like the political, economic, cultural, academic and people-to-people. I would like to add that Portuguese-Pakistani relations are very old. Our contacts with this region of the world began during the times of the Mughal Empire, in the 16th century. After the independence of Pakistan, Portugal was one of the first European countries to open a diplomatic mission – then – in Karachi. Our relations have always been good, friendly and cooperative.

Evolve: China, an economy of US$ 16.7 trillion will come closer to European markets in result of Silk Road Economic Belt route of the ‘One Belt, One Road’. How do you look at it either a threat for European industries or window of opportunity to access new and big markets? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: The process of globalization is bringing the World closer together. This creates opportunities, but also challenges. We should be ready to face those challenges in order to identify common possibilities for working together, transforming competition into cooperation.

Evolve: EU leaders are considering two-year suspension of Schengen rules. Is this really going to happen or just an opinion? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: The decision must be taken by the sovereign states involved, having in mind the common interests that led to the Schengen Agreement. Its aim was to increase mobility in Europe, with positive impact on economic and social development.

Evolve: On one hand, we see Portuguese firms as leading wind energy producers and generating 61.7% electricity through renewable energy sources while on the other hand Pakistan is facing acute energy shortage. How Portugal can play its role in facilitating Pakistan to come out of this crisis? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: I think it is a very auspicious field for cooperation. We should have more talks about that, both at public and private sector’s level.

Evolve: How Pakistan can be benefited by remarkable practices of tourism sector of Portugal? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: There is other area in which we can cooperate more. Pakistan is a beautiful country, with a lot of touristic potential. We could proceed with a dialogue on the best ways to develop it, adopting practices that proved successful in other cases.

Evolve: What are the most lucrative sectors for Portuguese businessmen to invest in Pakistan? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: Pakistan shows a large potential to foreign investors. As I said, renewable energies can be a very interesting field. Besides that, Portuguese companies can contribute with technology and knowhow to many other areas, as infrastructure, construction, textiles, marble production, and so on. We should start exchanging more often business delegations in order to approach and discuss all those possibilities. In this context, the Pakistani Portugal Business Council of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Pakistan is already doing a wonderful work. I also remind Ports and Shipping, where both countries share common interests, as stated during the recent visit to Portugal by the Federal Minister responsible for this area, Senator Kamran Michael. Naturally the «China Pakistan Economic Corridor» will offer excellent opportunities to all kind of investors.

Evolve: How would you opine on the academic cooperation between Portugal and Pakistan? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: It exists, but at a very slow path. There are already in Pakistan excellent university professors with a whole academic career made in Portugal. We should expand those ties, in order to establish more contacts and cooperation between Universities, Pakistani students should be informed about the possibilities to study in Portugal, as well as about the support they can get in doing so.

At the same time, several Portuguese professors are teaching at Pakistani Universities. They recognize the excellence of these local academic institutions and can also act as a bridge between both countries. In the field of research, much can be done, for example, IT, Environmental and Oceanographic studies. Not to mention the progress we can achieve while researching together in the area of Renewable Energies.

The teaching of the respective languages at the other country’s universities is also extremely important. In which respects the presence of Portuguese Language in Pakistan, it is already taught at the University of Punjab, in Lahore, as well as by the Brazilian Embassy in Islamabad. Anyway, we should keep on promoting its teaching in Pakistan. The same way, it would be interesting to have Urdu (or other language of Pakistan) taught at Portuguese Universities. That would also help to train translators into Portuguese and the publication of Pakistani literature in my country. 

Evolve: What initiatives can connect Pakistan and Portuguese business community? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: As I said, I would consider the exchange of delegations, as well as the contacts between companies from both sides. Once again, I would like to praise the initiatives being taken in this direction by the already mentioned «Pakistan Portugal Business Council»

Evolve: How can we further strengthen the bilateral relations between Portugal and Pakistan? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: One should keep on working together in all areas, including the political one, the parliamentarian (in the framework of the Pakistan Portugal Parliamentarian Friendship Group), the economic, cultural and academic. Youth, Media and Sports interchange is also extremely relevant. We can, as well, cooperate in Women Empowerment, consolidating ties between institutions from both sides working in that area.

Evolve: How do you evaluate the potential of Pakistanis in comparison of other nations? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: Pakistan is a beautiful and large country, with an old history and a much diversified Culture. It has a very young population and is very rich in natural resources. Pakistan has also an important geostrategic location and can, therefore, perform a very important role in regional and global politics. Being a large Islamic country, Pakistan can give an extremely relevant contribution to interfaith dialogue all around the world.

Evolve: You work hard as a Head of Mission. What do you do to relax? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: Indeed, professional life in Pakistan can be very hectic. Naturally, that is a good sign. Besides that, I enjoy reading, watching movies, hiking with friend (on weekends), as well as learning some golf and a very Pakistani sport, as Polo. I must say that I’m happy here.

Evolve: Any message to the readers of EVOLVE? 

Joao Paulo Sabido Costa: I would like to congratulate them for the preference they show for such an interesting publication as EVOLVE. With great pleasure, I am also a EVOLVE reader.