Som Sapkota (Portugal) — It is a great moment that, at the invitation of the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Amrit Bahadur Rai, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Portugal (Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation), Dr. Ana Isabel Xavier, is scheduled to undertake an official visit to Nepal from 29th April to 1st May 2026.
We warmly welcome her to Nepal and extend our sincere wishes for a successful, productive, and meaningful visit.
We hope this visit will serve as an important milestone in further strengthening the long-standing diplomatic relations and expanding cooperation between Nepal and Portugal. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1976, the two countries have enjoyed friendly ties based on mutual respect, cooperation, and growing engagement across multiple sectors.
This high-level visit carries special significance as it is expected to further deepen bilateral understanding, enhance political dialogue, and broaden collaboration in areas such as trade, investment, labor migration, tourism, education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. It also provides an important opportunity to explore new areas of cooperation and strengthen institutional linkages between the two countries.
We also extend our best wishes for her visit to be both memorable and highly fruitful.
Over the years, the Nepali community in Portugal has grown remarkably. When I arrived in Portugal in April 1999, there were only around 10 Nepalis at that time, and I was the 11th Nepali to be there. From that very small beginning, the community has now expanded to more than 70,000 Nepalis residing in Portugal. Many are living under temporary and permanent residence status, while others are in the process of regularization. More than 20,000 Nepalis have already acquired Portuguese nationality.
Today, the Nepali community in Portugal has made significant contributions not only in the labor sector but also in business, entrepreneurship, and investment, becoming an important part of Portuguese society and economy. In addition, more than 12,000 Nepali-Portuguese citizens are residing across various European countries, further strengthening the global Nepali presence.
In this context, the establishment of a Portuguese Embassy in Nepal has become increasingly important and timely. It would significantly enhance diplomatic engagement, improve consular services for the growing Nepali community, facilitate trade and investment opportunities, and strengthen cooperation in tourism, education, cultural exchange, and development partnerships. A resident Portuguese Embassy in Nepal would also deepen mutual understanding and make bilateral relations more effective, dynamic, and people-centered.
We warmly welcome her to Nepal and wish her a successful, productive, and highly fruitful visit, which we believe will mark a new milestone in Nepal–Portugal relations and pave the way for deeper friendship, stronger cooperation, and long-term partnership between the two countries.
Source : europati
