His Majesty’s Hon Consul-General of the Kingdom of Tonga to the Portuguese Republic, Anthony Bailey, recently met with Dr Victor Ramalho Marcelino, Director for Asia and Oceania at the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the Necessidades Palace in Lisbon on 11 March 2026.
Discussions provided an opportunity to examine in greater detail the mutual interests of Portugal and the Kingdom of Tonga, together with Portugal’s wider engagement with the Pacific region, including cooperation on issues affecting small island developing states, maritime affairs and international diplomacy.
During the meeting, the Consul-General also raised the importance of developing closer ties between Tonga and the Portuguese autonomous island regions of the Azores and Madeira, expressing the hope of undertaking visits to both archipelagos in the near future in order to further cultural, institutional and island-to-island cooperation.
The meeting additionally included discussions concerning Portugal’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2027–2028 term, with elections scheduled to take place at the United Nations General Assembly in June 2026.
The Consul-General and Dr Marcelino exchanged views on the significance of the forthcoming vote and the important role played by smaller and island nations within the United Nations system. The discussions highlighted Portugal’s longstanding commitment to multilateralism, international dialogue, peace and security, as well as the importance of constructive engagement between European and Pacific nations on global challenges including climate change, ocean governance and sustainable development.
It was also noted during the meeting that Portugal intends shortly to send a Special Envoy of the Portuguese Government to the Kingdom of Tonga as part of its diplomatic outreach in support of Portugal’s candidature for the United Nations Security Council. This follows recent visits to Tonga by other international special envoys and senior representatives, including from Germany and Kyrgyzstan, reflecting the growing diplomatic importance of the Pacific region on global issues such as climate change, maritime security and sustainable development.
The forthcoming Security Council election was recognised as an important moment for international diplomacy, with member states considering candidates’ commitments to international cooperation, the rule of law and effective representation of regional and global interests within the United Nations framework.
