Muscat - The visit of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, to the Sultanate of Oman, marked the trust in a relationship that, although still in its starting phase, created solid foundations to continue.
The visit of President João Lourenço was due to an invitation from the sultan, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, and resulted in the signing of four agreements, which are added to the three signed in Luanda, in May this year, when the partnership was born, which cover the result expected on this trip.
The Head of State arrived in Muscat on Thursday, the day marked by the official reception by the sultan, followed by a private meeting between them.
Haitham bin Tariq Al Said and João Lourenço highlighted the way in which cooperation between Oman and Angola is developing, with effective and high-impact actions taking place without delays or obstacles.
The two Heads of State highlighted among other examples, the entry of Oman into diamond production in Angola, both in Catoca and Luele mining society and the authorization, by the Angolan authorities, for the opening of a sultanate bank in Angola, with the aim of making business between both countries.
This was followed by the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Angolan Ministry of Finance and the Investment Bank of Oman that establishes the strategic cooperation framework to strengthen economic and financial ties between the two countries.
They also signed the Agreement for the Acquisition of Shares in the Catoca and Luele diamond mines in Angola and the Partnership Agreement between the Angolan diamond company (Endiama) and Oman's Maaden International Investment Group.
The trip of the President of the Republic to the Middle East country also produced the signing of the memorandum of understanding for the Exploration of Cooperation Opportunities in the Energy sectors between the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas of Angola and the Massadr Energy Group.
With the Maaden International Investment Group, work was completed to enter the prospecting, exploration and trade of diamonds in the Luele and Catoca projects, in Lunda Sul province.
The Omani company replaces the Russian company Alrosa, with which Angola recently ended the contract due to sanctions imposed on the company as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Speaking to the press, the Angolan minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino de Azevedo, said that "soon we will effectively have a new partner in these two operating companies".
He added that Angola also wants to improve the quality of project management, in order to reach other levels in the diamond sector.
The official dinner hosted by the Sultan of Oman, the Haitian Bin Tarik Al Said, in honour of the State visit of President João Lourenço, ended the first day of the Angolan statesman's visit agenda in Omani lands.
The moment was marked by the exchange of gifts celebrating the friendship between the two peoples, reinforced during this trip by the President of the Republic.
João Lourenço received a sword from Haitian Bin Tariq Al Said, a traditional symbol of Oman.
In return, the Head of State offered a work of art, which depicts the Welwitschia Mirabilis plant, which can be found in the Namibe Desert, unique in the world.
For Friday, the last day of the visit, the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, visited the National Museum of Oman, where the cultural heritage of the Omanis is kept from the first evidence of human occupation of this territory to the present day.
At the National Museum, João Lourenço received explanations about the symbolism of the most emblematic pieces on display, such as a replica of a ship, which depicts the long relationship that this Islamic country has with the sea.
After an hour of the visit, the Angolan Head of State expressed his happiness with the opportunity while writing in the Museum book.
"It was with the highest honour that I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of Oman, a majestic space that preserves the memories, deeds and centuries-old history of the Omani people, from which present and future generations can learn important lessons to continue leading your country on the same right path that continues until the current days," he wrote.
New agreements in sight
Meanwhile, Angola and Oman are already planning to discuss, in the coming weeks, more legal instruments to implement what was agreed during conversations between the parties.
When speaking about João Lourenço's visit, Foreign minister, Téte António, informed that a Reciprocal Protection Agreement for investments and another one will be signed to avoid double taxation.
The minister said that to facilitate the free movement of people, the parties immediately agreed to sign an agreement on visa waiver on diplomatic and service passports.
He informed that, afterwards, it will also be necessary to facilitate the movement of businesspeople, who do not hold this type of passport.
Téte António pointed out that Angola already has mechanisms for this purpose and Oman also agrees, to facilitate the fluidity of cooperation.
“There is an opportunity for us to evolve and make it easier for Angolans to come to Oman and for Omanis to also travel to Angola,” he said.
Positive visit
Téte António pointed out that all these intentions indicate that President João Lourenço's visit was positive, as it strengthened even further the desire of both States to get closer.
Bilateral cooperation
In May of this year, the two states signed, in Luanda, three cooperation agreements in the financial, agricultural and manufacturing fields, which marked the start of cooperation.
It was the first visit of an official delegation from the Sultanate of Oman to Angola, thus generating expectations regarding closer relations of friendship and cooperation between the two States in the areas under agreement, as well as in other fields of mutual interest.
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