Speech on Sustainable Blue Economy

ALEXANDRE LEITÃO (Coimbra, 08.12.1965) is a career diplomat since 1999, currently holding the position of Consul General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong.
Alexandre Leitão has university degrees in Geography (University of Coimbra), Political Science and International Relations (Portuguese Catholic University) and Public Policies (ISCTE–Lisbon University Institute).

Since the beginning of his professional activity, in 1983, he has held several positions in numerous fields of activities, among which:

• 1994-98. Executive city councilor for Environment and Tourism, and CEO, Water and Sanitation Municipal Company, Coimbra.
• 1994–96. Member of the Board, ERSUC S.A. (intermunicipal company for management of waste in the Centre Region of Portugal).
• 1997–99. Member of the Board, Tourism of the Centre of Portugal Regional Committee, Coimbra.
• 2002. Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Portugal in Dakar, Senegal.
• 2005. Head, European Parliament Affairs, and national representative at the General Affairs Group of the Council of the EU (GAG), Portuguese Permanent Representation to the European Union (Brussels); GAG’s Chair and Council’s representative to the European Parliament in the 2nd semester of 2007.
• 2008. Consul General in Benguela, Angola.
• 2012. Director, Consular Emergency Office, MFA, Lisbon.
• 2014. Director, Service for Cypher and IT, and MFA’s CIO, Lisbon.
• 2015. Deputy diplomatic advisor of the Prime Minister, Lisbon.
• 2016. Ambassador of the European Union in Timor-Leste.
• 2019-22. Executive Vice-President, Organizing Committee of the 2nd United Nations Ocean Conference (Lisbon, 2022)
• 2020-23. Special Envoy for Climate affairs of Portugal, member of the EU Climate Ambassadors Network.
• 2023. Consul General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong.