Lisbon, February 20

The chancery of the Nepali Embassy in Portugal was formally inaugurated on Thursday. Although the embassy office in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, had been established 10 months earlier (on April 16, 2025) and had already been providing services, the official inauguration was held on the occasion of Nepal’s 76th National Democracy Day.

The inauguration was jointly conducted by Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and Portugal’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Ana Isabel Xavier. Speaking at the formal ceremony, Foreign Secretary Rai said that the official opening of the embassy had institutionalised friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

At the event, Secretary of State Xavier expressed her happiness in welcoming the Nepali Embassy. She also pledged continued support from the Government of Portugal for future diplomatic efforts between the two nations.

The program was attended by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Portugal, Andres Carrascosa Coso, Nepal’s Ambassador to Portugal Prakash Mani Paudel, Sthe ecretary-General of Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Francisco Ribeiro Telles, and other members of the diplomatic community.

Interaction with the Nepali Community

Following the inauguration of the embassy office, an interaction program was held with representatives of the Nepali community. Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and Nepal’s Ambassador to Portugal Prakash Mani Paudel engaged with community representatives.

The discussion focused on potential avenues for promoting Nepal in Portugal and addressing issues faced by Nepalis living there. The event was attended by the current and former presidents of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Portugal, heads of various organizations and leading members of the Nepali community.

Participants expressed concerns that the service fees charged by the embassy were expensive. They also urged the embassy to simplify bureaucratic procedures, noting that paperwork-related complications were causing difficulties for Nepalis.

Onlinekhabar Correspondent Khanal honoured

Two winners of an open essay competition organised by the embassy were awarded certificates of appreciation by Foreign Secretary Amrit Kumar Rai. The embassy had organised the competition on the occasion of Constitution Day 2082 BS.

In the competition, Prashant Shrestha of Kathmandu, currently residing in Portugal, secured first place, while Kapil Dev Khanal, an Onlinekhabar correspondent based in Portugal, secured second place. The winners received certificates of appreciation and approximately Rs 32,000 (200 euros) from the embassy.

The post Nepali Embassy in Portugal officially inaugurated appeared first on OnlineKhabar English News.

KATHMANDU: As part of the Nepal-Portugal bilateral consultation mechanism, Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and Portugal’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dr. Ana Isabel Xavier jointly inaugurated the chancery of the Nepalese Embassy in Lisbon on Thursday during a special ceremony.

Speaking at the event, Secretary Rai expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Portuguese government for its support in establishing the embassy and emphasized that the mission would serve as a bridge to further strengthen ties between the two countries.

Highlighting Portugal’s continued commitment, Dr. Xavier expressed her pleasure at hosting the Nepalese embassy and assured full support for its smooth functioning.

The diplomatic community in Lisbon, led by Dean Andres Carrasco Kosso, welcomed Nepal’s Ambassador, Prakash Mani Paudel, as a new member of the city’s diplomatic corps.

In the evening, the Nepalese Embassy hosted a reception celebrating Nepal’s 76th Republic Day, attended by representatives of the Nepali diaspora and community organizations in Portugal.