Luanda - Angola reaffirmed on Thursday its commitment to finding lasting solutions to conflicts in Africa, with emphasis on those in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan.
Speaking at the 79th anniversary of the United Nations, Angola’s Foreign Minister Téte António reaffirmed that Angola continues to defend multilateralism, which must prevail as the only framework truly capable of safeguarding the common interests of all humanity.
The minister recalled that this year Angola celebrates the 48th anniversary of its admission to the UN and, since its independence, has embraced the cause of multilateralism and has defended this principle.
“We must reiterate our resolute commitment to diplomacy and inclusive dialogue and the use of peaceful means to resolve conflicts,” António said.
Téte António recalled that within the framework of the Luanda Process, a ceasefire was reached in the east of the DRC, which came into force on August 4 this year and that an Angolan proposal for a peace agreement involving the DRC and Rwanda has been put on the table.
The proposal aims to reach an understanding that will justify a summit to seal the signing of the peace agreement and the normalization of relations between the DRC and Rwanda.
According to the diplomat, the African continent's main priorities are development based on intensified trade promotion and that for which it is essential to build infrastructures that guarantee connectivity between the countries of the region.
The minister said the idea is to promote greater mobility for economic operators, which would encourage free trade between all of them through the Continental Free Trade Area.
Angola has established partnerships at international level to guarantee the operation of the Benguela Railway, the mineral and commercial ports of Lobito, the major transnational transport and logistics project of the Lobito Corridor.
The minister stressed that the project will ensure faster, safer and more competitively priced transportation of minerals, agricultural and industrial products from Angola, Zambia and the DRC across the Atlantic Ocean to the rest of the world.
“This is a catalyst project that will change the economic panorama in Angola and Central and Southern Africa, allowing a number of ventures to emerge along the Lobito Corridor, with a direct impact on the economies of Africa's sub-regions in particular and the continent in general,” the minister said. FMA/ART/TED/AMP
