Benguela - The Ambassador of the State of Israel, Shimon Solomon, expressed on Monday, in the province of Benguela, his country's interest in strengthening cooperation with Angola in the fields of agriculture, industry and transport.
The diplomat informed that he is in Benguela for a two-day working visit, in which he hopes to learn about the main projects in the aforementioned sectors.
Shimon Solomon said he will also visit projects in the fields of housing, energy and water.
The ambassador, who held a courtesy meeting with the provincial vice-governor for the Technical and Infrastructure sector, Adilson Gonçalves, made it known that Benguela has many potentials and offers business opportunities in several areas.
According to the diplomat, there is great expectation for the development of the Lobito Corridor, which is giving hope to the population, hence Israel's interest in sharing its experience in the area of agriculture and beyond.
He informed that, despite Israel being a country with few human resources and water scarcity due to its desertification, it still has sustainable solutions for agriculture.
In the same vein, the ambassador expressed his country's desire to share its vast technological experience in different sectors.
The ambassador hopes to see more Israeli companies operating in Angola, thus helping in the development of the African nation.
On the other hand, the Israeli diplomat praised Angola's efforts to pacify the eastern region of Democratic Republic Congo, highlighting the recent signing of a ceasefire agreement with Rwanda.
"Angola has great experience in terms of conflict resolution, as a result of the several years of civil war it has experienced and is contributing greatly to the pacification of this region of Africa", he emphasized.
Diplomatic ties between Angola and the State of Israel began in 1993. Two years later, in 1995, the State of Israel opened its Embassy in the Republic of Angola and, in 2000, the Government of Angola did the same, opening from its diplomatic representation in Tel Aviv.
The State of Israel and Israeli companies invest in Angola with the aim of strengthening cooperation between the two countries in various areas.
After signing the Memorandum of Understanding and the start of the National Reconciliation Process in the country, the Government of Angola made a consolidated appeal for humanitarian aid. This is how the State of Israel changes its strategy and begins structured work in civil areas, through its business sector, thus reinforcing cooperation with the Government of Angola.
This cooperation consists, above all, of activities in the areas of agriculture, health, education, aviation, civil construction, fisheries, diamonds, security and telecommunications, as well as humanitarian activities.
Within the framework of cooperation with the Government of Angola, and within the scope of cooperation with MASHAV (Israel's official international development cooperation program), the Embassy of the State of Israel in Luanda has sponsored the trip to Israel of Angolan citizens to attend, annually, courses in various fields, especially in agriculture and in some areas of hospital management.
Israel, a Middle Eastern country on the Mediterranean Sea, is considered by Jews, Christians and Muslims to be the biblical Holy Land.
CRB/CF/DOJ
