His Majesty’s Honorary Consul-General of the Kingdom of Tonga to the Portuguese Republic, Anthony Bailey, attended the opening ceremony of the 2025 Diplomatic Bazaar, held at the Centro de Congressos de Lisboa.
The Diplomatic Bazaar is organised annually by the Association of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited in Portugal (ACDAP), under the leadership of the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, traditionally the Apostolic Nuncio. The event is one of Portugal’s most enduring diplomatic charitable initiatives, gathering embassies, consulates and international organisations accredited to Portugal. Through the sale of cultural items, traditional goods and gastronomic specialities from around the world, the Bazaar raises significant funds for Portuguese charities that support vulnerable families, social inclusion, humanitarian assistance and child-welfare programmes.
The 2025 edition was officially inaugurated by H.E. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Portuguese Republic. During the opening ceremony, the Honorary Consul-General had a valuable opportunity to discuss with the President of Portugal’s active campaign to secure a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2027–2028 term—a seat Portugal last held in 2011–2012.
Portugal’s campaign is framed around the principles of “Prevention, Partnership, and Protection”, emphasising its long-standing contributions to peacekeeping, ocean and maritime governance, dialogue between cultures and continents, and sustainable development—areas strongly aligned with the Kingdom of Tonga’s own global priorities.
Throughout the event, the Consul-General visited the stands of numerous countries represented in the diplomatic community, including France, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Kosovo, Morocco, Peru, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Spain and Thailand, as well as the Azores Islands.
The Honorary Consul-General also met with many diplomats, parliamentarians and business leaders who had previously travelled to the Kingdom of Tonga, reflecting Tonga’s growing visibility within Portugal’s institutional, parliamentary and commercial networks.
It was also confirmed that the Kingdom of Tonga has been invited to participate in the Diplomatic Bazaar for the first time in 2026, marking an important step forward in Tonga’s cultural and diplomatic presence in Portugal.
His participation highlighted Tonga’s active engagement with the international community in Portugal and reinforced the importance of diplomatic cooperation in support of charitable and humanitarian initiatives.
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