Opening doors to each other in business

In a recent issue of Diplomacy and Trade, the chairman of the Portuguese-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, László Hubay Cebrian talks about how the organization wishes to enhance business ties between the Potuguese-speaking world and Hungary.

The idea of the Portuguese-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, established in 2007, was first discussed between the then Hungarian Ambassador in Portugal, Attila Gecse and Portuguese-Hungarian businessman Laszlo Hubay Cebrian in order to establish an organization that could enhance the commercial activity between the two countries. Laszlo Hubay Cebrian, who came to be the founding chairman of the Chamber, gave a short interview to Diplomacy and Trade.

This organization was meant to work  with sponsorship moneys, utilizing my high level contacts in Portugal and looking at investment possibilities that one could offer to Portuguese capital in Hungary and vice versa. It was also to offer Hungary an open door policy to the Portuguese-speaking golden triangle, which is composed of Portugal, Brazil and Angola, inclusive of Mozambique. The Portuguese language is spoken not only by 10 million in this continental European country, but also by other 290 million spread throughout the world, especially within the countries mentioned. Lisbon could be a door opener for Hungarian businesses extending them into these territories with Portuguese partners. Currently, the Portuguese-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce has twenty members. The sustainability of the Chamber is basically guaranteed by the "Benemerits" composed of Banco Espirito Santo, Amorim Group, Brisa - Auto-Estradas de Portugal, Hovione, Mota-Engil and OTP Bank.

What are the major fields of activity and who are the main partners you work with?

Our activity has been on-going involvement within the agricultural business, real estate as well as banking contacts and new company formations within the banking and real estate sector. The main partners are corporate and civil institutions, with special regard to the Portuguese export organization AICEP.

What are Hungarian-Portuguese economic and trade relations like?

They are basically driven by agricultural exports from Hungary to Portugal and industrial exports, such as textiles and apparel accessories, from Portugal to Hungary  as well as real estate. We, at our Chamber of Commerce, believe that the trends and possibilities between the two countries are very positive from the Portuguese point of view, using Budapest as  the center point for accessing all peripheral countries with common frontiers  and vice versa from the Hungarian point of view, using Lisbon as a door opener to the golden triangle.

How did/does the world financial crisis affect bilateral economic relations?

The world financial crisis is affecting Portuguese business very negatively and as such, interest for foreign investment has shifted to the Portuguese speaking countries in detriment to eastern European countries because exports to these countries have to be increased. As such, the crisis affects our bilateral economic relations negatively.

For more information on the Portuguese-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, see the web site www.cclusohungara.pt

Laszlo Hubay Cebrian, the founding Chairman of the Portuguese-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, has since January this year been a Partner and Managing Director of ‘Nutri Ventures SL’, a company that has begun to produce the world’s first animation series specifically created to encourage healthy eating for children.

Previously, he worked for The World Disney Company between 1980 and 2004. Between 1999 and 2004, he acted as Country Managing Director and President of The Walt Disney Company Iberia, President of The Disney Store Spain and President of The Walt Disney Company Portugal. He also worked as a Consultant for The Disney Company and for Stage Entertainment between 2005 and 2007.

Alongside work for Disney, he was frequently asked to give lectures to universities, secondary schools and other organizations on subjects including administration, leadership, environmental protection, counterfeiting, change management, the leisure industry or company restructuring.

Laszlo Hubay Cebrian, the grandson of the renowned Hungarian composer, Jeno Hubay, is fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, Norwegian, Hungarian and German. He is the recipient of the state decoration ‘The Cross of the order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary’.