Kathmandu: Deputy Foreign Minister of Portugal, Dr. Ana Isabel Xavier, met Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shisir Khanal, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu on April 30, as part of her three-day official visit to Nepal.
During the meeting, Minister Khanal recalled his recent telephone conversation with his Portuguese counterpart, Paulo Rangel, held on April 1, and welcomed Portugal’s decision to establish a diplomatic mission in Kathmandu. He assured full support from the Government of Nepal for the establishment process and expressed appreciation for Portugal’s positive approach in addressing consular matters concerning Nepali nationals.
Dr. Xavier congratulated Minister Khanal on his appointment and extended her best wishes for a successful tenure.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai held a bilateral meeting with Dr. Xavier, where both sides reviewed the overall state of Nepal–Portugal relations. They expressed satisfaction with the growing momentum in ties, particularly following the first meeting of the Nepal–Portugal Bilateral Consultation Mechanism held in Lisbon in February 2026.
Discussions in both meetings focused on strengthening cooperation across key sectors, including tourism, trade, investment, labour, and digitisation, while also exploring new areas of mutual collaboration.
Foreign Secretary Rai also hosted a luncheon in honour of the visiting delegation.
