Honourable Director-General of WHO Dr. Margaret Chan, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Macao SAR Government, I would like to express our warmest welcome to all of you. Today, under the remarkable and ongoing efforts of WHO, I am glad to see a common objective for developing traditional medicine in a strategic and global context.

The Macao SAR Government has fostered a long and fruitful co-operative partnership with WHO. The initiative on promoting traditional medicine was reinforced in July 2011 when we signed an agreement with WHO to provide training programmes to local experts as well as specialists from neighbouring areas. The programmes are significant in promoting the appropriate use of traditional medicine as it is more commonly used in many parts of the world. We are glad that Macao to play the role to serve as a platform for WHO member states to share valuable experiences and expertise. We discuss goals and objectives in the area of traditional medicine. We will continue to task ourselves in providing resources for the organization of further training sessions and the implementation of other plans in the agreement.

More importantly, I believe that the above initiative gives a window of opportunities for Macao to contribute more widely in the long-term development of traditional medicine. It is also important to honor our commitment to work more closely with WHO for further collaborations in promoting the knowledge of traditional medicine safety and efficacy, as well as bridging the differences in practices and policies among members of WHO.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to WHO and the National Health and Family Planning Commission for taking a supportive stand in Macao. Under the guidance of WHO, I have confidence that all members will work together on building traditional medicine strategies that will serve generations. I conclude by wishing you success and an enjoyable stay in Macao.

Thank you!