"We know that there are difficulties in accessing Cape Verdean documentation, accessing nationality and acquiring the necessary documentation, the Government has recently taken measures to exempt for a certain period of time to obtain nationality and the inherent documents", he said. the Cape Verdean statesman in Luanda.
José Maria Neves, who was speaking during a meeting held with the Cape Verdean community residing in Angola, said that he enacted, two weeks ago, a specific diploma that facilitates his fellow citizens in Angola to obtain documentation.
"This means that we have conditions for people to have access to Cape Verdean documentation free of charge for a certain period of time, free of charge at the consular services here at the embassy in Angola", he assured.
The meeting between José Maria Neves and the Cape Verdean community residing in Angola took place at the Luanda Media Library and was preceded by cultural moments with songs, dances and poetry declamations.
Received at the entrance of the room to loud applause, the Cape Verdean President said, in his speech, that he was aware of the "difficult conditions" of life of certain segments of the community residing in Angola, pointing out efforts by the Government of his country to reverse the situation .
The Government "has made an effort to contribute to improving the living conditions, at least for the most vulnerable sections of our community here in Angola".
"Therefore, there is a minimum social pension for the older and more needy people, this pension has been gradually improved and the Cape Verdean Government makes an effort within the possibilities for this community to live with conditions", he underlined.
José Maria Neves' State visit to Angola, the first abroad after taking office in November 2021, officially started on Monday, after his arrival on Sunday, and ends on Wednesday.
The socioeconomic difficulties of many Cape Verdeans, residing in Angola for more than 40 years, access to documentation, the need to operate an agricultural field, in the Angolan province of Cuanza Sul, ceded years ago to the Government of Cape Verde by the Angolan Government were some of the concerns raised at the meeting.
Regarding the land ceded by Angola, "more than 15 years ago", José Maria Neves said that it has already been regularized: "And the idea is for the Government, as soon as possible, to send a mission here to definitively resolve this issue and put the land to produce". "It has enormous potential for agriculture and livestock", he stressed.
The importance of bilateral relations between Angola and Cape Verde was also highlighted by the statesman of the island country, stating that the Cape Verdean community in Angola "is very important to us and is the largest Cape Verdean community in Africa".
According to José Maria Neves, "there are Cape Verdeans scattered in several Angolan provinces and we have, in this community, many people, senior officials of the Angolan public administration descendants of Cape Verdeans".
"We have people in all the cracks of Angolan society and, for us, it is always a source of pride to be able to meet with this community, a community that has had it at various times, because Angola also had several moments and the Cape Verdeans here have been following this process of development in Angola", he noted.
"We must value and highlight Angola's invaluable contribution to Cape Verde and the Cape Verdeans here in Angola", concluded José Maria Neves, fifth President in the history of the Republic of Cape Verde.
