Luanda - Republic of Angola should work towards consolidating the unity of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) around the ideals of peace and development, the organisation's secretary general, Georges Rebelo Chikoti, has said.
Chikoti said so Thursday (8th) to the press on the sidelines of the Council of Ministers preparatory meeting for the 10th Summit of Heads of State of the OACPS, set for 9 and 10 December in Luanda.
Angola is expected to take over the rotating presidency of the organisation, for three-year term.
He said he believes that the Angolan leadership will engage the most developed States in environmental issues, so that the Climate Summits do not remain restricted to the promises, but with strong positions on the environmental background.
He hopes the “Luanda Declaration”, to be adopted by the Heads of State, will have positions against climate change, engaging the international community in supporting countries, such as those in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which face drought, floods, typhoons.
The diplomat referred that peace and security should also dominate the Angolan mandate, taking into account the performance of the Angolan statesman, João Lourenço, in the peace efforts, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
He stated that there is solidarity against the discrimination of some countries, such as Cuba, due to the end of the embargo imposed on it by the US, aiming at automating South/South cooperation, for the development of the member countries.
Georges Chikoti underlined that the trust fund, created at the Kenya Summit in 2019, has acceptable membership and will finance future activities of the organisation and the secretary, adding that the fundraising campaign continues.
The official also said that the accession of the Maldives to the OACPS will be confirmed at this event.
On the other hand, the Angolan ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union, Mário Azevedo Constantino, said that the “Luanda Declaration” should guide the Angolan presidency, towards achieving the common goals of the country and the organisation.
He considered it important to identify, along with the European Union, new partners to add value to the OACPS, while confirming the need to guarantee the necessary assistance to the countries most affected by climate change.
To Mário Constantino, the Angolan initiatives in the fields of solidarity, food security and environmental protection for the three-year mandate are optimistic.
The Mozambican ambassador to Angola, Osvalda Joana, hopes that the organisation will find the best ways to help develop the member countries, in an orderly manner, and their respective economies.
