Ondjiva – Angola minister of Economy and Planning Mário Caetano João on Friday defended the need for the Angolan government to continue strengthening the existing cooperation ties with European Union (EU).
The minister made the statement at the opening of the sixth meeting of the Steering Committee of the project for Strengthening Resilience and Food and Nutritional Security in Angola (Fresan).
Caetano João stressed the importance of the cooperation agreement worth 65 million euros to help the populations affected by the drought in the country’s southern Cunene, Huíla and Namibe.
The minister spoke of the importance to continue working to strengthen existing cooperation ties between the Angolan government and international development partners, in terms of financial resources provision.
Mário Caetano highlighted the cooperation of Portugal towards the implementation of the Fresan to find solutions that help mitigate the disease that ails thousands of Angolans in these regions of the country.
The Angolan government, the minister said, intends to use cooperation investments and other different methods to boost public and private production capacity, focused on sustained production to replace imports.
The minister underscored that Angola has been the object of attention of countries and international development agencies, due to the economic reforms that have been implemented aimed at increasing transparency.
Mario João said these have been attractive factors for foreign investment and increase of Angola's credibility in funding institutions.
The Angolan minister said the Fresan reflects the cooperation relation between Angola and the EU to rebuild the economic and social infrastructures that the government has been implementing.
With a deadline of execution until August 2024, the Fresan intervenes in four thematic components namely, sustainable family agriculture, improvement of nutrition and access to water, institutional strengthening and the clinical trial/research on chronic malnutrition.
