Luanda - President João Lourenço returned to Luanda on Thursday from Huambo, where he participated in activities related to the National Day of Culture, celebrated on January 8.
At the Luanda Air Base, the Head of State was greeted by the Vice President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, assistants of the Executive Branch and other personalities.
The festivities culminated in a musical and cultural performance during which the Head of State received from the Minister of Culture, Filipe Zau, the prize awarded by UNESCO to the Angolan State in recognition of the national cultural strength of Angola.
The prize includes a certificate of classification of the Sona as Intangible Cultural Heritage, awarded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), representing the culture of the Cokwe Empire, the eastern region of the country, which includes the provinces of Lunda-Norte, Lunda-Sul and Moxico.
On the occasion, João Lourenço emphasized the importance of the award, stressing that it "has to do with the Cokwe culture, but also with the culture of all Angolans".
João Lourenço attended the cultural event marked by the exhibition of several local artists and the awarding of diplomas to individuals linked to the promotion of national culture.
This year, the celebration of the National Day of Culture is part of the 50th anniversary of national independence, which will be celebrated on November 11.
January 8 is dedicated to the appreciation, promotion and preservation of the rich cultural diversity, established as a way to highlight the importance of culture in national identity and development. The date dates back to the post-independence period, in which the consolidation of Angolan cultural values was sought.
The anniversary was approved by Decree-Law No. 21 and published in the State Gazette No. 87, I series, of November 1986, in tribute to the speech on national culture given by the first President of Angola, António Agostinho Neto, in 1979, on the occasion of the inauguration of the governing bodies of the Union of Angolan Writers, in Luanda.
On that occasion, the great poet António Agostinho Neto also spoke about national culture, which has since become a fundamental reference in all discussions on the subject of Angolan culture.
VIC/CF/AMP
