Kathmandu : Foreign Secretary of Nepal Amrit Bahadur Rai and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Portuguese Republic Dr.

Ana Isabel Xavier jointly inaugurated the Chancery of the Embassy of Nepal amid a special ceremony on Thursday.

On the occasion, Foreign Secretary Rai expressed his gratitude to the Government of the Portuguese Republic for its continued support and facilitation for the successful establishment of the Embassy.

He also expressed his confidence that the Embassy will act as a bridge to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

Secretary of State Dr. Xavier, expressing her happiness to host the Embassy of Nepal in Portugal, assured the continued support of the Portuguese Government for the smooth functioning of the Embassy.

Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Andres Carrascosa Coso, welcomed the Embassy as a new member of the diplomatic corps in Lisbon, it is stated.

On the occasion, Ambassador of Nepal to Portugal Prakash Mani Paudel welcomed the distinguished guests and thanked the Portuguese Government for its support in the establishment of the Embassy.

High-ranking officials, including Secretary General Ambassador Francisco Ribeiro Telles, Chief of Protocol Ambassador Francisco Vaz Patto of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials of other Portuguese government agencies, Ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, and media persons were present on the occasion.

Similarly in the evening, the Embassy of Nepal hosted an event to celebrate the 76th Democracy Day of Nepal in the presence of the representatives of NRNA and various Nepali community organizations.

On the occasion, Ambassador Paudel welcomed the guests while Foreign Secretary Rai, highlighting the significance of the Democracy Day, stressed the need for unity among Nepali communities in Portugal.

Following the celebration, the Embassy organized an interaction programme with Nepali community members.

The participants raised several issues and concerns related to consular services and promotion of trade, tourism and investment between Nepal and Portugal.

Foreign Secretary Rai responded to the queries and noted the concerns of the participants and assured them of every possible support from the Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affair.