Pedro Pessoa e Costa was received at the end of the afternoon by the Minister of the Interior, Eugénio Laborinho, having discussed issues related to public security, as well as the work in combating the pandemic, praising the way passengers are served, when disembarking international flights. , adds a note from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT).
Speaking to Lusa, the ambassador stated that the suspension of direct flights with Portugal was one of the topics addressed, hoping that "soon the conditions for a gradual return to normality are in place", stressing that "the fight against the pandemic is common".
"As in the past, Angola was quick to make decisions to protect the territory in the context of combating the virus, as is also the case with mandatory testing on arrival," he said, adding that "the organization and efficiency of the process have been praised. thousands of passengers ".
Angola temporarily suspended, on 24 January, links with Portugal, Brazil and South Africa, to prevent the entry of new strains of SARS Cov2, the virus that causes covid-19.
In the country, an RT-PCR test with a negative result was already mandatory, performed up to 72 hours before departure, to enter. Those returning from abroad will now also have to do a post-landing test and complete a home quarantine period that has gone from seven to ten days.
Pedro Pessoa and Costa stressed that Angola allowed a reinforcement of the Lisbon / Luanda route with extra flights in the week before the suspension of connections.
"In this fight against the pandemic, Portugal and the Portuguese community support the efforts and guidelines of the Angolan authorities," said the diplomat, drawing attention to the countless Portuguese and Angolans who intend to return to Angola or Portugal and expressing the hope that go "introducing normality in flights between both countries".
On the table were other matters related to public security, with the two officials highlighting that the relations between the Ministry of Interior and the Portuguese Internal Administration "are remarkable and of great intensity".
Eugénio Laborinho also referred that the "Ministry of the Interior has considerable relations with Portugal" materialized in several cooperation agreements and with results "essentially, in the field of staff training".
