Luanda - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday advocated the need for greater dynamism in cooperation between France and Angola, with an emphasis on agriculture.
The French Head of State defended this position, in Paris, during the accreditation ceremony for Angola's ambassador to France, Guilhermina Prata.
President Emmanuel Macron also emphasized the role of President João Lourenço in stability and peace in the African region.
Recently, in an interview with ANGOP, the Angolan diplomat pointed out that her priority was to strengthen co-operation in the fields of education, agriculture, health and culture, as well as French investment in the country.
Guilhermina Prata, who took over the Angolan Embassy in France in January this year, said that these are areas that, when developed, contribute to training, food, the well-being of citizens and improving conditions in the country.
The diplomat's mission is also to promote greater inclusion of the Angolan community in France by setting up meetings, organising cultural activities and celebrating important dates, so that they don't feel left behind but welcomed.
Angola/France co-operation
France has maintained bilateral cooperation with Angola since the country achieved its independence. A first agreement signed in 1982 laid the foundations for bilateral co-operation. Since then, this has expanded to include visits by delegations from both countries.
France is also the second largest foreign investor and one of the main private employers in Angola.
In 2018, the two countries signed three agreements during the visit of Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, to Luanda, in the fields of aviation, a framework agreement in agriculture and a framework agreement in the tourism sector.
Figures from the French Embassy in Angola show that in the first nine months of 2021, exports to the country totalled 178.2 million euros, an increase of 26.4% compared to the same period in 2020.
Inside
Born on 8 May 1952, Guilhermina Prata has a law degree from the Agostinho Neto University (1985) and a master's degree in Legal and Business Sciences from the same institution. She was a member of the National Assembly, Minister of Justice and Vice-President of the Constitutional Court.
Guilhermina Prata is also a member of the Association of Angolan Women Lawyers and the International Federation of Women Lawyers. She was a member of the National Assembly's Eventual Commission for Constitutional Revision, the Constitutional Commission and the Technical Commission for Constitutional Issues.
She was appointed on 20 January, 2023 to represent Angola in the French Republic, the Kingdom of Monaco and Liechtenstein.
VM/ DAN/DOJ
