Mindelo – The Head of State João Lourenço received this Tuesday in Mindelo, Cape Verde, the keys to the São Vicente Island municipality from the hands of its Mayor Augusto Neves.
The Angolan President on the occasion praised his counterpart of Cape Verde José Maria Neves due to the opportunity to pay the accumulated debt with São Vicente citizens, for never having visited the Island before.
“I have been to Cape Verde many times as a politician and always in other islands and cities but never in São Vicente; I finally came to pay this debt, but how would I enter in São Vicente without having the keys?”, asked João Lourenço.
After the handover o the municipality keys, which is a symbolic distinction made to high personalities, the Angolan Head of State visited the Atlantic Technical University (UTA) where he was informed about its functioning as well as piloted a large vessel in a simulated gadget used to training ship captains.
João Lourenço got to know that the UTA is a pillar for higher education and is part of the Sea Campus that should combine four organic unites, namely the High Institute of Sciences and Agrarian Technology, of Tourism and Aeronautic and Art, Technology and Culture University and the Faculty of Engineering and Marine Science.
Accompanied by his counterpart José Maria Neves, the Angolan President visited the Frescomar group facilities, where he watched the process of manufacturing canned fish, as well as the company Electra SA, which is dedicated to the production, transport, distribution of electricity and desalination of water.
The agenda of the visit to the island of São Vicente includes a solemn ceremony, in honour of the Angolan Head of State, at the Palace of the People, the headquarters of the local administration, one of the most emblematic buildings in the region.
Angola and Cape Verde have strong ties of cooperation and, among the agreements signed, the ones on visa exemption stand out, as well as those in the fields of education, defence, oil, diplomacy, transport, finance and administration.
The formalization of political and diplomatic relations between Angola and Cape Verde took place on 30 August 1977.
