Lisbon – November 2023. His Majesty’s Hon Consul General of the Kingdom of Tonga to Portugal, Mr Anthony Bailey paid a courtesy visit on His Excellency Dr Nabil Abuznaid, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Portuguese Republic.
The Consul General was briefed on the humanitarian disaster and huge loss of innocent civilian life in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and especially Gaza which followed the barbaric Hamas attacks on Israel.
The work of the international agencies which are offering much needed relief was also highlighted.
Ambassador Abuznaid was appointed as the Palestinian Ambassador to Portugal in May 2017 having previously served as head of the Palestinian mission in the Kingdom of The Netherlands from 2009-2017.
From 2004 until 2009 he was deputy head of mission in Washington DC. He was a prominent member of the Palestinian delegation which participated in the US sponsored Annapolis peace talks in November 2007.
Consul General Anthony Bailey has made several visits to Palestine as part of religious pilgrimages to the Holy Land. This included to the holy city of Bethlehem – birth place of Jesus Christ in October 2016.
In 2020 the Consul General was granted the Bethlehem passport, the symbolic honorary citizenship of the city in recognition of his inter-religious work and support to Bethlehem.
Many Tongans visit Palestine and neighbouring Israel and Jordan on pilgrimage to the Christian sites in all three countries.
