Luanda - The third and final day of US President Joe Biden's visit was the highlight of his participation in Benguela in the Multilateral Summit on the Lobito Corridor, with his counterparts João Lourenço (Angola), Félix Tshisekedi (DRC), Hakainde Hichilema (Zambia) and the Vice President of Tanzania, Philip Mpango.
The day was also marked by the visit of the statesmen to the Multipurpose Terminal of the Port of Lobito, in Benguela, where they witnessed the arrival of a train operated by the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), carrying copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The copper was then loaded onto a ship bound for New Orleans, in the United States, once again highlighting the strategic role of the Lobito Corridor in connecting southern Africa and international markets.
Upon his arrival, at Paulo Teixeira Jorge International Airport, Joe Biden received welcome greetings, at the door of President João Lourenço's 'Air Force One'.
In brief moments, the American statesman interacted with the cultural group Bimba das Acácias, which presented a welcome cultural exhibition. At the time. Biden showed off some dance moves and played drumming.
At the opening of the summit, the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, stressed that Angola is committed to respecting its obligations and commitments to international partners.
The Head of State stressed that the country lives in a situation of peace and stability and is determined to fulfill its obligations both at the institutional level and at the level of investors who have chosen our country as a destination for their businesses.
On the occasion, the President of Angola underlined the strategic importance of the Lobito Corridor which, along with the Port of Lobito and the Benguela Railway, was in the 70s one of the most profitable railway lines in the world by transporting 3.3 million tons of cargo per year.
'We are planning to optimize this important infrastructure as an integral part of an international and transcontinental route capable of connecting the ocean to everyone and thus safely connecting the American, European, African and Asian continents with gains in transport times and costs of sea and rail freight,' he said.
President Biden, at the same summit, announced an additional investment of $600 million for the expansion of agricultural infrastructure, construction of high-speed mobile networks and continuing to reform the Benguela Railway.
He said the United States understands the importance of investing in Africa and the Global Infrastructure and Investment Partnership (PGI) has that goal.
Regarding the Lobito Corridor, Biden recalled that months ago the Democratic Republic of Congo sent the first shipment of copper, a trip that used to take 45 days to reach the United States and now takes less than 45 hours, for the changes made.
He stressed that the project will transform all technology, clean energy, agricultural activity and increase environmental security.
Considered historic, as it is the first by a US President, the visit ended this Wednesday with farewell greetings from his counterpart João Lourenço, at Paulo Teixeira Jorge International Airport.
First day
Since Monday in Angola, Joe Biden began the day with a reception at the Presidential Palace, where he received welcome greetings from João Lourenço, reviewed the troops on parade, before the private meeting.
The two Presidents then co-chaired the meeting between the government delegations to define the partnership's strategy for the future.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, the Angolan President said that Biden's visit buries a past of relations in which, in the context of the Cold War, the two countries were not always aligned.
He said that it also marks an important turning point in relations between both nations, which 'without a shadow of a doubt will know a new dynamic from today'.
That is why he considers it 'a great honor and a privilege' to receive such an important visit, namely the President of the United States, for the Multilateral Summit on this important Lobito Corridor.
For his part, Joe Biden said he was very proud to be the first American President to visit Angola and for everything that was done to transform the partnership.
Jokingly he said: 'we, the Bidens, are like poor relatives. We show up when we're invited, we stay longer than we should, we eat all their food, and we don't know when to leave. But you have been very generous and hospitable. Thank you', acknowledged the President.
He said that there is still a lot ahead that the two nations can do, and the results so far speak for themselves, such as building an access rail line, from ocean to ocean, which will connect the continent from West to East, for the first time in history.
He also pointed to investment in solar energy projects that will help Angola generate 75 percent of its clean energy by next year.
Joe Biden also spoke about the upgrade of the Internet and communications infrastructure to connect all of Angola's high-speed Internet networks
Tuesday afternoon was marked by a visit full of great historical symbolism to the Museum of Slavery, from where the first Angolan slaves to US territory departed.
On the occasion, the President gave a speech where he spoke about the Angolan slaves taken to the United States and stressed that 'Angola and the US are condemned to live together and strengthen historical relations'.
'Although we are at the end of our mandate, we still have a lot to do to help Angola, and financial support that together we can make history,' added the American President, who stressed that 'Angola is a blessed country, in view of the most varied resources it has.' VIC/ART/DOJ
