Portugal’s Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel and Deputy Foreign Minister Lê Thị Thu Hằng cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Portuguese Embassy in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Embassy of the Portuguese Republic in Việt Nam was officially inaugurated at BRG Tower, No. 198 Trần Quang Khải Street, Hà Nội, on February 27, marking a significant milestone in the long-standing friendship between the two countries.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng described the inauguration as not merely a diplomatic formality but the opening of a new chapter in bilateral relations. She recalled that more than fifty years ago, on July 1, 1975, Portugal was among the first Western European countries to establish diplomatic relations with reunified Việt Nam.

She also highlighted the deeper historical ties dating back over five centuries, when Portuguese traders first arrived in Hội An. In the 17th century, Portuguese missionaries left a lasting imprint by contributing to the development of the Vietnamese Latin-based script, which remains an invaluable cultural bond for the Vietnamese people.

Hằng noted that Việt Nam’s launch of its embassy in Lisbon in November last year and Portugal’s establishment of its embassy in Hà Nội represent meaningful reciprocal steps. These diplomatic missions will serve as bridges to promote cooperation across politics, the economy, culture and education.

She affirmed the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to close coordination and favourable conditions to ensure the effective operation of the Portuguese Embassy.

For his part, Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel described the inauguration as a highly significant moment, noting that the two countries' celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of modern diplomatic relations last year by opening embassies in each other’s capitals is a tribute to their shared history.

He also referred to the cultural connections between the two nations, from references to Việt Nam by Portugal’s greatest poet Luis de Camoes, author of the epic Os Lusiadas, to the 16th-century accounts by writer Fernao Mendes Pinto, voicing his hope that the shared history will continue heralding a bright common future.

Portuguese Ambassador Joaquim Alberto de Sousa Moreira de Lemos stressed that as Portugal’s first resident ambassador to Việt Nam, he considers the inauguration both symbolic and forward-looking, ushering in a new phase of friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. — VNS