{"id":12266,"date":"2026-04-08T21:47:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T21:47:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tonga-gov.pt\/?page_id=12266"},"modified":"2026-04-09T23:11:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T23:11:58","slug":"welcome-message","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tonga-gov.pt\/en\/welcome-message\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome Message"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Welcome Message<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
The Consulate-General of Tonga was delighted to host over three days at its mission in Sintra over 100 Tongan nationals visiting Portugal for the World Youth Day in August 2023.<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

M\u0101l\u014d e lelei. <\/strong>Welcome to the official website of the Consulate-General of the Kingdom of Tonga in Portugal.<\/p>

It is a great honour to serve as the first Hon Consul-General of His Majesty The King of Tonga to the Portuguese Republic – two proud nations I have enjoyed over a quarter of a century of close association too.<\/p>

My appointment by His Majesty King Tupou VI in 2021 which was formally recognised by the Government of Portugal in 2022, it at the heart of Tonga’s wish \u00a0contribute and develop a deeper relationship with Portugal.<\/p>

This bilingual website has been created to provide a clear and accessible introduction to the Kingdom of Tonga, including its history and culture which extend back more than a thousand years, \u00a0and is also unique in being the only country in the Pacific never to have been colonised.<\/p>

This site also presents Tonga today as a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy and gives an overview of the work and activities of the Consulate-General in Portugal.<\/p>

Visitors will find information and links on Tonga\u2019s institutions and international engagement, alongside dedicated sections highlighting relations between Tonga and Portugal, news and official visits, and practical information for those seeking to engage with the Kingdom.<\/p>

The site is intended both for those in Portugal and its Autonomous Regions of Azores and Madeira and across wider Europe who wish to learn more about Tonga and the South Pacific.<\/p>

It is also serves as a valuable resource for Tongans and members of the Tongan diaspora who are visiting Portugal or are interested in this ancient European nation.<\/p>

The Consulate-General works in close cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Tonga in Great Britain and with His Majesty\u2019s Diplomatic Services in Nuku\u02bbalofa, ensuring coordinated diplomatic engagement and support.<\/p>

Our counterpart for Portugal is the Embassy of Portugal in Australia, under the leadership of HE Ambassador Carla Manuela Louren\u00e7o Sarago\u00e7a, appointed in 2026, reflecting Portugal’s regional diplomatic framework through which relations are conducted.<\/p>

Although geographically distant, Tonga and Portugal share important common values and areas of mutual interest, including cooperation on climate change and maritime issues, reflecting their shared heritage as ancient maritime nations, as well as the promotion of faith, cultural understanding, and educational exchange.<\/p>

It has been a particular honour to welcome to Portugal during my mandate both the then Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tonga in 2022, reflecting the growing strength of our bilateral relationship.<\/p>

My association with the Kingdom of Tonga spans more than a quarter of a century, during which I have had the privilege of forming many enduring friendships and partnerships.<\/p>

Through my numerous visits to the Kingdom, I have come to know and greatly admire its people, traditions, and way of life.<\/p>

I also hold many happy memories of remarkable moments in Tonga\u2019s recent history, including the Coronation of His Majesty King Tupou VI and Her Majesty Queen Nanasipau\u02bbu Tuku\u02bbaho in 2015 – an occasion of great dignity and national significance, which I was honoured to witness.<\/p>

As His Majesty’s Honorary Consul-General, I have made it my priority to bring Tonga and its people and society to a wide cross-section of Portuguese society, with the sole wish to foster greater awareness, understanding, and engagement between our peoples and of the South Pacific.<\/p>

I would also encourage you to subscribe to our regular newsletter via the website at tonga-gov.pt<\/a><\/strong><\/p>

It is my sincere hope that this website will serve as a useful, reliable, and welcoming resource for all those with an interest in Tonga, and for Tongans wishing to engage with Portugal.<\/p>

With my very best wishes.<\/p>

Anthony Bailey<\/strong>
Honorary Consul-General of His Majesty The King of Tonga
<\/strong>to the Portuguese Republic<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Consulate-General of Tonga was delighted to host over three days at its mission in Sintra over 100 Tongan nationals visiting Portugal for the World Youth Day in August 2023. M\u0101l\u014d e lelei. Welcome to the official website of the Consulate-General of the Kingdom of Tonga in Portugal. It is a great honour to serve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12266","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tonga-gov.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tonga-gov.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tonga-gov.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tonga-gov.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tonga-gov.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12266"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tonga-gov.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12266\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tonga-gov.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}