LBBP RI Ambassador Rudy Alfonso Presents Credentials, Portuguese President Ready To Improve Bilateral Relations

PORTUGAL - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Portugal, Rudy Alfonso, handed over Letters of Credence to the President of the Republic of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, at the Presidential Palace Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, Lisbon , Monday, January 17 local time.

The procession of the handover of credentials began when the Indonesian LBBP Ambassador arrived at the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda at 15.00 local time.

LBBP RI Ambassador Rudy Alfonso was greeted by the Presidential Guard Battalion, then the national anthems of the two countries were solemnly sung.

After handing over the credentials to the President of Portugal, the Indonesian LBBP Ambassador Rudy Alfonso then headed to the Diplomatic Room (Sala Diplomatico) for a private audience session with the President of Portugal. During the private audience, the President was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Foreign Relations, Francisco André.

On this occasion, the Indonesian LBBP Ambassador Rudy Alfonso conveyed warm greetings from President Joko Widodo and the people of Indonesia to the President of Portugal and the people of Portugal.

"The President of Portugal and the Ambassador of the LBBP RI agreed to improve bilateral relations, especially in the fields of trade, investment and tourism as an effort to recover the economy due to the pandemic," said LBBP Ambassador Rudy Alfonso to VOI, Tuesday, January 18.

The President of Portugal welcomed the warm greetings from the President of the Republic of Indonesia and the people of Indonesia as he welcomed and supported the success of the mission of the Indonesian LBBP Ambassador in Portugal.

Since the restoration of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Portugal in 1999, Ambassador Rudy Alfonso is the 6th Ambassador trusted by the Government of Indonesia as the Indonesian LBBP Ambassador to the Republic of Portugal. The submission of the Indonesian Ambassador's Letters of Credence to the President of Portugal officially marks the official assignment of Ambassador Rudy Alfonso in Portugal.

The procession for submitting credentials during the Covid-19 pandemic was different from the procession carried out in previous years. Previously, the procession of handing over the credentials was held at the Presidential Palace of the Palácio Nacional de Belém with the cavalry first being paraded from the Jerónimos Monastery to the Belém Palace.

In addition to the Indonesian Ambassador, on the same day the President of Portugal also received 5 (five) other Resident Ambassadors, namely Switzerland, Peru, Libya, Ivory Coast and Egypt.

The meeting between the Indonesian Ambassador to Lisbon and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The President of Portugal was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Foreign Relations, Francisco André.