“At the level of bilateral diplomacy, we are clearly strengthening,” announced the head of diplomacy at the start of a joint hearing on the State Budget for 2026 (OE2026) of the parliamentary committees on Budget, Finance, and Public Administration, Foreign Affairs, and Portuguese Communities, and European Affairs.
“We are now opening the embassy in Vietnam, we already have the ‘agrément’ for the new ambassador, and we are arranging the premises,” he added.
Paulo Rangel indicated that the Government is considering reopening the diplomatic representation in the Philippines and opening a “consular office or even a consulate” in Nepal.
Moreover, Portugal will strengthen its presence at the African Union (AU), a pan-African organization headquartered in the capital of Ethiopia.
“For the first time, our ambassador in Addis Ababa will be a ‘full rank’ ambassador, at the top of the career,” emphasized Rangel, who added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE) will “reinforce personnel” at the AU.
“Africa is today a continent with enormous risks, deserving very special attention,” he noted, adding that Africa is “the preferred partner of Europe” and, for Portugal, “a brotherly partner, which goes beyond simple diplomatic calculation.”
Regarding the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), he was questioned by deputy Diogo Pacheco Amorim (Chega) on the “expenses with no measurable return with CPLP countries.”
Paulo Rangel was assertive: “Of course, we will continue to have a privileged relationship with the CPLP.”
“I do not look at this as gains and losses. The gains in this matter are not measured by counterparts,” he declared.
