Islamabad, June 10, 2024 — The Portuguese Embassy in Islamabad celebrated Portugal National Day with a grand event at Serena Hotel. Ambassador Manuel Frederico Pinheiro da Silva addressed a distinguished gathering, highlighting Portugal’s illustrious history and the strong diplomatic ties between Portugal and Pakistan. In his speech, Ambassador da Silva shared, “On Ukraine, it has to be clearly reminded that sovereignty and territorial integrity are the cornerstone of international order.
Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine creates a very dangerous precedent for the rest of the world; it must be stopped.” He further encouraged Pakistan to participate at a high level in the upcoming “Global Peace Summit” to be held in Switzerland from June 15th. Ambassador da Silva also expressed Portugal’s firm stance on the Middle East conflict, stating, “Portugal strongly condemns the ongoing Israeli offensive in Rafah and is gravely concerned with the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
We consider the recognition of the Palestinian State as an important step, choosing the best timing and context to maximize its effect and send a positive political message to both parties. We are very supportive of the vital role played by UNRWA, having not only maintained but reinforced our financial contributions to its activities.” Reflecting on his tenure in Pakistan since February of last year, Ambassador da Silva spoke fondly of his travels across the count.
