Muscat - Angola and the Sultanate of Oman plan to sign more legal instruments in the coming weeks, in order to materialize the intentions expressed during the talks between the two governments on Thursday.
The talks took place during the state visit of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, to the Arabian Peninsula country.
Angola's Foreign Minister Téte António said that a reciprocal investment protection agreement would be signed, as well as an agreement to avoid double taxation.
To facilitate the movement of people, the parties are considering the immediate signing of an agreement on visa exemptions for diplomatic and service passports, the minister said, stressing that it would then be necessary to facilitate the movement of businessmen who do not hold these types of passports.
The minister noted that Angola already has mechanisms in place, and Oman agrees, to facilitate the flow of cooperation.
We are open to developing and making it easier for Angolans to come to Oman and for Omanis to travel to Angola," he said.
Positive visit
Téte António said that all these intentions indicate that President João Lourenço's visit was a positive one, as it cemented the will of the parties to come closer and allowed the signing of four agreements.
These include the Memorandum of Understanding between the Angolan Ministry of Finance and the Oman Investment Bank, which establishes a framework for strategic cooperation aimed at strengthening economic and financial ties between the two countries.
They also signed the agreement for the acquisition of stakes in the Catoca and Luele diamond mines in Angola, and the partnership agreement between the Angolan company Endiama and the Maden Investment Group, a subsidiary of the Oman Sovereign Fund.
The results of this mission to the Middle East also included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Angola's Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas and Massadr Energy Group to explore opportunities for cooperation in the energy sector.
On Friday, the final day of the visit, the Angolan leader visited the National Museum of Oman.
The National Museum is Oman's premier cultural institution, showcasing the Sultanate's heritage from the first evidence of human habitation on the Oman Peninsula to the present day.
Bilateral cooperation
In May this year, the two countries signed three cooperation agreements in Luanda in the fields of finance, agriculture and manufacturing, marking the start of cooperation.
It was the first visit of an official delegation from the Sultanate of Oman to Angola, raising expectations of closer relations of friendship and cooperation between the two states in the areas signed and in other areas of mutual interest.ART/DAN
