The event was attended by Vietnamese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, Portuguese Ambassador Joaquim Alberto de Sousa Moreira de Lemos, ambassadors from both countries, heads of diplomatic missions, and representatives of the people of both countries.
At the ceremony, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Tu Hang emphasized that this event was not just a diplomatic formality, but an important milestone that opens a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries. The Deputy Minister recalled the historical fact that more than 50 years ago, on July 1, 1975, Portugal was one of the first Western European countries to establish diplomatic relations with unified Vietnam. However, the ties between the two countries have continued quietly but steadily since the first Portuguese merchants arrived in Hoi An more than 500 years ago. In particular, the presence of Portuguese missionaries in the 17th century had a great influence on the formation of the Vietnamese national language (Quốc ngữ) script, which has become a very valuable link for the Vietnamese people today.
Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang highly praised the opening of Vietnam’s embassy in Lisbon and Portugal’s embassy in Hanoi last November as “meaningful and harmonious measures.” The two countries’ institutions will serve as a common driving force for promoting comprehensive cooperation in all fields, including politics, economy, culture, and education. “The opening of the Embassy in Hanoi will signal the beginning of an era of active cooperation,” the Vice Minister said. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam will do its best to cooperate closely and create all favorable conditions for the efficient operation of the Portuguese Embassy in Hanoi.”
On the Portuguese side, Minister of Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel expressed his honor and said he considered this event a very meaningful moment. Minister Langhel emphasized that the opening of embassies in each other’s capitals in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations last year was a sign of gratitude for their common history.
Speaking at the event, Minister Paulo Rangel noted the profound cultural traces, from the Vietnamese stories of Luís de Camões, Portugal’s greatest poet and author of the national epic Os Lusíadas, to the 16th-century writings on Vietnam by Fernão Mendes Pinto.
In particular, Minister Rangel emphasized the cultural heritage shared between the two countries and noted that Portuguese missionaries contributed to the compilation of the first Vietnamese-Latin-Portuguese dictionary. Thanks to this dictionary, the Latin alphabet was introduced to Vietnam and gained a unique position in the region. Minister Langhel expressed hope that the shared history between the two countries will continue to open joint opportunities for a bright future.
Ambassador Joaquim Alberto de Sousa Moreira de Lemos was honored to invite Minister Paulo Rangel and Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang to the event.
The Ambassador emphasized that the embassy opening ceremony was not simply a diplomatic formality but had profound symbolic meaning. As the first Portuguese Ambassador to Vietnam, he said this event marks the beginning of a new chapter in the friendly and cooperative relations between Vietnam and Portugal.
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