Welcoming 5 new member organisations in 2019 from Lithuania (Sunrise Valley), Poland (CCI Katowice), Portugal (COTEC Portugal), Turkey (Teknokent) and Georgia (EBA Georgia) was for sure the most important news that the management of European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME could remark during the Annual General Assembly 2019. This took place at the end of October in Lisbon, and was accompanied by very interesting side events that our Special Envoy for Trade Relations with Africa and Latin America, Mr. Fernando Silva as well as Mrs. Susana Barahona Ferreira of COTEC Portugal, have organised together for us.
On 23rd Oct. evening, we met with the Mayor of Oeiras and former Portuguese Minister Mr. Isaltino Morais at the wonderful historical Marquis de Pombal Palace in Oeiras. The evening was accompanied by an outstanding concert by famous Fado-Singer Carla Pires and the OCCO Orchestra.
On 24th, after a very motivating visit to the Incubator “Start-Up Lisboa”, we were welcomed in the former Royal Palace in Lisbon, nowadays seat of the Foreign Ministry, by Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Mr. Eugenio Brilhante Dias, as well as later on in the Ministry for Economy, by the Vice-Minister for Economy, Mr. Joao Neves.
During the General Assembly’s meeting we took some important decisions for our confederation’s Executive Committee. In by-elections, we elected as new treasurer, Mr. Stephan Blahut, Secretary General of the Austrian Business Association Österreichischer Gewerbeverein ÖGV, as well as a new member of the board, Mrs. Marina Kaas, Vice-president of the Estonian SME association EVEA and confirmed Mr. Patrick Meinhardt as Vice-president of the confederation.
