Luanda - Angola's ambassador to Egypt, Nelson Cosme, considered Saturday, in Cairo, the operationalization of the Lobito Corridor as an extremely important factor for regional integration among Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), through railway transport.
According to a press release to which ANGOP had access today, the diplomat made these considerations in a message addressed to the
diplomatic corps and the Angolan community residing in Egypt, as part of the 23rd of March, Southern Africa Liberation Day.
On the occasion, he recalled that the Tripartite Agreement signed by the three states develops harmonized regulations and corridor systems to promote the development of infrastructures.
Among the advantages of the Lobito Corridor, to be implemented by the three countries in the Southern African region, the ambassador highlighted the transport of metals to manufacture electric vehicles and wind turbines from mines in the interior of the three countries to the port, reducing transport time from weeks to days. Another bet, he pointed out, is aimed at diversifying sources of financing and implementing projects in countries in the region.
He highlighted that the Republic of Angola will seek to guarantee the implementation of the main SADC objectives, which consist of achieving economic development, peace and security, growth, reducing poverty, raising the standard and quality of life of the populations of Southern Africa.
Within the scope of the African Union Agenda2063, the Angolan ambassador said that one of the bloc's new proposals is to develop a Customs Union with the reduction or elimination of tariffs. With this, he continued, it is proposed to guarantee the economic development of the countries involved, with the expansion and promotion of the internal market, as well as boosting the implementation of the Free Trade Zone.
As for the 23rd of March, Nelson Cosme recalled that the fundamental point of this date was the well-known Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, which took place between the 15th of November 1987 and the 23rd of March 1988, in the province of Cuando-Cubango, where the Angolan armed forces (former FAPLA) resisted against the South African army, in a battle considered the longest one that took place on the African continent since the Second World War.
On the other hand, during Angola's rotating SADC Presidency, taken up in October 2023, for the 2023-2024 period, the ambassador said that the main aim is to create a peaceful, inclusive, competitive and industrialized region, through the implementation of defined objectives, such as the achieving the valorization of human capital, financial issues, peace and stability in the region.
He also highlighted that Angola continues to defend a more united front and a common voice to safeguard the Organization's position on fundamental international issues, such as peace, security, strengthening democracy, sustainable development and climate change.
SADC is made up by Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. CLAU/QCB/TED/jmc
