Paulo Miguel Guedes Domingues is a career diplomat who officially began his assignment as Portugal’s Ambassador to Pakistan and Afghanistan on March 24, 2026, when he presented copies of his Letters of Credence to the Chief of State Protocol at Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He formally presented his credentials to Pakistan’s President, Asif Ali Zardari, on April 7, 2026, at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad. He succeeds Ambassador Manuel Frederico Pinheiro da Silva, who was known in Pakistan more commonly as Ambassador Frederico Silva.
Before his current posting, Ambassador Domingues held several senior roles within the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international delegations.
Born in Portugal’s Azores Islands, he holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences at the Technical University of Lisbon (1999).
He joined the Portuguese diplomatic service after passing the public concours in December 1998 and began as Attaché at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 1999.
He also served as a university teacher in the postgraduate course on commercial diplomacy at the Technical University of Lisbon (2013-2016) and held a senior position at the Jacques Delors European Information Center from 1995-1999.
Diplomatic Career
Prior to the current assignment, Ambassador Domingues was the Deputy Head of Mission and Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of Portugal in Madrid, Spain; a position he held from April 2025-March 2026. In the same mission, he also worked as Chargé d’Affaires and Political Counsellor during July 2022 and November 2024.
Between March and July of 2022, Domingues was the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; prior to which he was the Chief of Staff of the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities Abroad, for two years (September 2018-March 2022).
From August 2016 to September 2018, Ambassador Domingues served as the Consul General of his country in Sydney, Australia. He held Director for Bilateral Relations in the Directorate-General for European Affairs from June 2015-August 2016.
The various other positions that he held in the preceding years include: Coordinator for Asia, Pacific and Middle East at AICEP Portugal Global – Trade & Investment Agency (February 2012-November 2014), where he also served as Advisor to the Board (November 2014-June 2015), Head of Division for Economic Diplomacy in the Directorate-General for Technical and Economic Affairs (September 2011-February 2012), and Head of the Political Affairs, Press and Information Section at the European Union Delegation in Maputo, Mozambique (August 2009-August 2011).
Domingues was also part of the Portuguese Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels from September 2005-July 2009, where he worked in various senior positions, including Antici/COREPER II coordination and the Nicolaidis Group.
Between 2000-2005, he was the Advisor to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and earlier roles supporting the CPLP.
The ambassador was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit by the President of Portugal, António José Seguro, on March 20, 2026, just as he was assuming his new role in Islamabad.
Diplomatic Priorities in Pakistan
Ambassador Domingues is committed to strengthening the longstanding friendly relations between Portugal and Pakistan. In his first bilateral meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari following the presentation of credentials, discussions focused on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, information technology, agriculture, and the blue economy.
The President highlighted the upward trajectory in bilateral trade, the important role of the Pakistani diaspora in Portugal, and prospects for enhanced labor mobility and academic exchanges, as well as closer collaboration within the European Union framework.
In his welcome message, Ambassador Domingues expressed appreciation for the contributions of his predecessors, particularly Ambassador Frederico Silva.
“I would also like to extend a word of thanks to the teams at the Embassy and the Official Residence, whose dedication and professionalism have been essential in serving Portugal in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” he said.
While in Pakistan, Ambassador Domingues hopes to assist people in Pakistan who wish to learn more about Portugal; the culture, economy, and opportunities that come up from time to time.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
