Amb. R. L. Walker International Relations & Diplomacy Series // Portugal: a NATO Ally and European Partner
February 4, 2026 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
$10.00 – $15.00
In partnership and with special thanks to the Zeitgeist Foundation, we are pleased to have an opportunity to host Francisco Duarte Lopez, Ambassador of Portugal as this year’s speaker in honoring the Anniversary of the German-French Friendship Treaty. The NC Zeitgeist, along with the Alliance Française, work closely together to bring an Ambassador of the E.U. (someone neither French nor German) to the US each year share insights into their perspectives on the European Union. The Charleston Library Society is honored to host the program as part of our ongoing Ambassador R. L. Walker International Relations & Diplomacy Series that was initiated in 2021 to recognize South Carolina scholar and diplomat, Richard L. (“Dixie”) Walker.
About Ambassador Lopez:
Before he was appointed Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations, Ambassador Mr. Duarte Lopes served at Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lisbon, where he was promoted to the rank of Ambassador in December 2015. He had previously assumed the rank of Political Director in July 2014. He served as Director-General for European Affairs from January 2012 and as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State for European Affairs from June 2011 to January 2012. From October 2009 to June 2011, he served as the diplomatic adviser to the Prime Minister. From August 2005 to September 2009, Ambassador Duarte Lopes was the coordinator at Portugal’s Permanent Representation to the European Union, where he was previously Counsellor in charge of Institutional Affairs. From 2003 to 2004, he was Director for Institutional Affairs at the Foreign Ministry. Before that, he served as an adviser to the Secretary of State for European Union Affairs from 2002 to 2003. He also headed the Ministry’s Human Resources Section between 2000 and 2002 and served as Chargé d’affaires at Portugal’s Embassy in Denmark from 1995 to 200. Born in Castelo Branco, Portugal, Ambassador Duarte Lopes holds a law degree from the Faculdade de Direito de Lisboa. He began his professional service as an attaché in the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Section in 1989, before being posted to Pakistan from 1993 to 1995.
About the NC Zeitgeist Foundation:
The N.C. Zeitgeist Foundation was founded by Klaus Becker, then Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany to North Carolina. The mission of the Foundation is reflected in its name, Zeitgeist, which means the “Spirit of the Time,” is to inform, educate, and foster dialogue about the influence in the Carolinas of the current and historic culture, arts, society, and spirit of Germany and Europe in celebrating their deep-rooted ties to the United States. Its mission is to strengthen transatlantic partnerships through cultural exchange, business collaboration, and shared innovation. By connecting communities across North Carolina and Germany, we foster understanding, economic opportunity, and artistic inspiration on both sides of the Atlantic. In recognition of the long-standing German/European-American transatlantic relationship, the program of the Foundation focuses on the exchange of societal and governmental thought and theory, art exhibitions, and cultural and social events. Since its inception in 2014, The N.C. Zeitgeist Foundation has strongly supported economic development and growth in the Greater Charlotte Region, including initiatives to brand and promote the Carolinas as a premier US location for international business, trade, and investment.
About the Ambassador R. L. Walker International Relations & Diplomacy Series:
During the summer of 2021, the Library Society received a generous gift to establish a program series honoring a South Carolina scholar and diplomat, Richard L. (“Dixie”) Walker, who also happens to be the father of Anne W. Cleveland, a long-standing and transformative Executive Director at the Charleston Library Society. In 1981, Walker was chosen by President Ronald Reagan to serve as his ambassador to the Republic of Korea. After unanimous confirmation by the U. S. Senate, he served with distinction at that post until 1986, longer than any other American ambassador. Walker was on the faculty of Yale University when he was recruited by Governor Donald Russell to organize a new program in international studies at the University of South Carolina (USC) that he headed until 1972. In 1961, he founded the Institute of International Studies and headed it until 1981, as it grew into a preeminent national and international center of research, conferences, consultation and publications. In 1996, the Institute was renamed the Richard L. Walker Institute in his honor. The lecture series will cover a multitude of topics, and we hope that the viewers gain fresh perspectives on the challenges facing the intersecting spheres of international relations & diplomacy.