(VNA - 07/09/2011) - The Portuguese Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City officially opened on Sept. 7.

Prominent among guests at the event were Portuguese Ambassador to Thailand and Viet Nam, (resident in Thailand), Jorge Ryder Torres-Pereira and representatives from the municipal authorities.

Afonso Carlos Neves Vieira, who was recognised as honourary Consul to HCM City, will serve as the only representative of Portugal to provide consular services to people in the city and work as a bridge to implement programmes on economic cooperation as well as cultural exchanges between the two countries, while promoting Portugal’s image to the Vietnamese people and vice versa.

Earlier, the Sudanese Consulate in HCM City was inaugurated with 30-year-old Tran Uyen Phuong, Deputy General Director of Tan Hiep Phat Group, as the honourary Consul.

Addressing the event, Sudanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Adil Ibrahim Mustafa Ahmed said he believed that the honourary Consul would play an important role in enhancing the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, especially in economic trade and culture./.