Lisbon – March 2024. His Majesty’s Hon Consul General of the Kingdom of Tonga to Portugal, Mr Anthony Bailey, paid a courtesy visit to Her Excellency Dr Julia Monar, Ambassador Federal Republic of Germany to the Portuguese Republic since August 2022. He also met with Deputy Head of Mission Ludwig Blaurock.
The meeting took place at the German Embassy in Lisbon and discussions were held as to how to enhance cooperation between both countries who re-established diplomatic relations in 1978.
As early as 1 November 1876, the German Empire signed a friendship treaty with Tonga. Diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of Germany have been in place since 1976. The Treaty on Friendly Relations and Cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Kingdom of Tonga entered into force on 2 January 1978. The Kingdom of Tonga’s mission in Britain is responsible for Germany and their Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand, is responsible for Tonga.
Tonga receives support from Germany through its contributions to the European Union’s Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) (until 2021, the European Development Fund (EDF)). The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), together with regional and local partners, is implementing a regional programme focused on adapting to climate change and a regional project aimed at protecting the biodiversity of the oceans and coastal areas, as well as other projects.
There are also microprojects in the spheres of infrastructure, education and vocational training, as well as health, the advancement of women and combating domestic violence. Following the volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga in January 2022, Germany has been funding a local assistance project to provide clean drinking water and support community gardens.
Their late Majesties King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV and Queen Halaevalu Mata’aho paid an Official Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany from 18 to 27 November 1979 at the invitation of the Federal President Karl Carstens of Germany. The first three days King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV had political talks in Bonn and two agreements on technical and financial cooperation were signed during the monarch’s stay.
The Tongan monarchs also visited Stuttgart, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hamburg, West Berlin and Munich and visited Hohenzollern Castle in Hechingen where they were received by the descendants of German Emperor Wilhelm I who signed the first Treaty of Friendship with Tonga in 1876.
Dr Norbert Lammert, President of the German Bundestag (Parliament), visited Tonga in September 2016 to mark the 140th anniversary of the friendship between Tonga and Germany.
Tonga is a member of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security in the United Nations, founded by Germany and Nauru.
Tongan Hon Consul General Anthony Bailey has a long association with Germany dating back to 1988 and has advised numerous bodies aimed at promoting bilateral and multilateral relations with Germany.
The Consul General visited Germany regularly and during 2023 and 2024 visited the cities of Berlin, Bonn, Coburg, Munich, Cologne, Neustrelitz, Stuttgart, Dresden, Nuremberg, Wurzburg, Baden-Baden and Aachen.
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