Honorary Consulate of Kazakhstan Opens in Northern Portugal

Guimaraes, June 4, 2021 - On the Day of National Symbols of the Republic of Kazakhstan the country’s Honorary Consulate was inaugurated in Guimaraes, also known as the "cradle" of the Portuguese nation.

Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Portugal Daulet Batrashev, the Mayor of Guimaraes Domingos Bragança, the leadership of the regions that make up the consular district, as well as representatives of the country's academic, social, political, business and media attended the event. The Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan, Gil Vieira, head of “Resumesferico”, will operate in the districts of Braga, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Bragança, Porto, Aveiro, Viseu, Guarda, Coimbra and Castelo Branco.

At the ceremony, the Ambassador emphasized that the establishment of the Honorary Consulate of Kazakhstan is a visible evidence of the development of the Kazakh-Portuguese friendship, contributing to further expansion of trade, economic, investment and humanitarian cooperation between the countries. The Kazakh diplomat thanked the leadership of Guimaraes for their support and presented Gil Vieira with state symbols to be used in the activities of the Honorary Consulate.

The dignitaries of the northern regions of Portugal, welcoming the opening of the Honorary Consulate, expressed confidence that it would contribute to the development of inter-regional bilateral cooperation. For his part, Mayor of Guimaraes Domingos Bragança noted the interest in expanding mutually beneficial relations with Kazakhstan, emphasizing the wide range of opportunities that the city can provide to further develop cooperation between the regions of the two countries. In this regard, Bragança expressed his intention to visit Turkestan in the near future to establish twinning relations and thoroughly discuss the bilateral cooperation agenda.

The Honorary Consul Vieira thanked the Government of Kazakhstan for its trust and emphasized the important role of the Honorary Consulate in protecting the rights and interests of the citizens of Kazakhstan and the development of the two countries in all areas of interaction and trade and economic cooperation.

Along with the opening of the Honorary Consulate of Kazakhstan, given the business and industrial potential of the region, the Business Association "Qazaq Sauda"started its activities in Guimaraes, which will promote the development of Kazakh-Portuguese business cooperation. The association, established at the initiative of Portuguese entrepreneurs, is intended to become an effective tool to assist in the establishment of partnership and cooperation relations, as well as to advise businesses on the implementation of joint projects in priority sectors of the economy.

Besides, as part of a series of events dedicated to the 30th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a gala concert was held with the prominent singers of Portugal Lara Aleixo and Nuno de Camara Pereira, who performed, among others, the famous Kazakh songs Dudaray and Umytylmas kun. Numerous guests also had the opportunity to learn about Kazakhstan's rich culture, art and nature through a photo exhibition about the country, which will be open to all Guimaraes residents for two weeks.