Luanda – Angolan president João Lourenço Friday in Luanda expressed desire to see more Brazil’s investments in the country, and vice-versa.
Angolan head of State expressed the desire while jointly addressing the press with his Brazilian counterpart, after witnessing the signing ceremony of seven cooperation agreements, aimed to develop bilateral cooperation.
“We will strengthen our cooperation ties. We want to develop the fields of agriculture, education, health, tourism and others that are important for both nations", noted the Angolan statesman, underlining that "the time has come to re-launch these ties once again".
President João Lourenço is of the view that Angola has a lot to gain from the partnership with the Federative Republic of Brazil.
In his speech, he stated that the Angolan Government wants Brazil to use the country as the "gateway" to the southern and central regions of Africa, and likewise see Brazil as the "gateway" of Angola to the Mercosur region.
“We will support each other so that this becomes a reality”, he stressed.
Governments must invest more
The President of Brazil Lula da Silva, also addressing the press, stated that the governments of both countries and the respective business people should invest more in the sense of taking reciprocal advantages.
“We must work harder to clearly show what Brazilian business people can earn by investing in Angola and the opposite for Angolans in Brazil,” he said.
In his statements, Lula da Silva spoke of the foreign debt that African countries contracted with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), estimated at approximately 800 billion dollars, having, for this reason, pledged to do everything through diplomatic channels so that it don't get paid.
He defended that, instead of paying the debt, it could be reversed for the construction of works linked to infrastructures in the African States.
The Brazilian President is in Angola on a three-day state visit, as part of the strengthening of cooperation between both countries.
Lula da Silva arrived in Luanda on Thursday night, coming from Johannesburg, South Africa, where he participated, from August 22nd to 24th, in the 15th Summit of the BRICS, a bloc of countries with emerging economies formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Brazil was the first country in the world to recognize Angola's independence, proclaimed on November 11, 1975, by then President António Agostinho Neto.
As part of the cooperation between the Republics of Angola and the Federative Republic of Brazil, around 80 diplomas have been signed so far. AFL/SC/ADR/CF/NIC
