Luanda – The minister of State and Head of the Military Affairs Office of the President of Republic, Francisco Furtado, said Wednesday in Luanda that in a period of three years Angola made important investments in the defence and security field.
The official who was speaking at the close of the meeting of the military leadership of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), which was held on 14-15 February, said that the investments enabled the purchase of modern equipment for the Air Force and Navy.
According to Francisco Furtado, the investments also aim to reinforce the intervention capacity of the mentioned two branches of the FAA, as well as to ensure security and stability of the country.
“They also aim to strengthen partnerships in shared transnational challenges and in the interest of promoting peace and security in the spaces in which the Republic of Angola is inserted”, explained the minister.
He noted that the investments had been made at a difficult time in the country's economic life, with few resources, due to the low price of oil in the international market.
To Francisco Furtado, the selflessness, loyalty, unity spirit and dedication to the cause of the country demonstrated by the FAA staff, towards the country's economic life, has to do with the way in which the military are prepared.
The State minister considers that FAA staff loyalty demonstrates also the level of discipline, patriotic education, instruction and education as to how they should deal with adverse situations, not only of the operational environment, but also with the adversities of the country's economic and social life.
In his view, above all, the FAA is an institution of noble virtues that requires resilience at all times.
He said that the government led by the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief, João Lourenço, would continue to give the necessary attention to the FAA in all aspects and dimensions, in order to carry out and materialise the programmes aimed at its modernisation and development.
However, the meeting enabled the participants to evaluate the extent of implementation of the defined tasks in 2022/2023 plan, to diagnose the general situation of the Armed Forces in operational terms and their capabilities and possibilities in the maintenance of national defence, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic.
The meeting also aimed to draw up the balance of the process related to the restructuring, resizing and re-equipment, as well as several geopolitical scenarios happening in the African sub-region and worldwide, with particular emphasis on the conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
