The information was given by the Presidency of the Republic, in a statement, to which VerAngola had access. "The Government of the French Republic, represented by President Emmanuel Macron, announced today [Thursday] in Paris the awarding of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, the highest honorary decoration of this European country," the note reads.
Speaking at the Élysée Palace, the President of the Republic expressed his gratitude for the award.
At the time, the head of state was surprised by the gesture, as this moment was not part of the official agenda of the visit.
"In the statement made at the Élysée Palace, alongside the host statesman, President João Lourenço warmly thanked France and its authorities for the gesture, publicly confessing that it was 'a total and pleasant surprise' because the moment was not included in the official programme of the visit", the statement says.
According to the Presidency's note, this order, "which distinguishes merit in its highest expression and is the maximum recognition of the French nation, was instituted by Napoleão Bonaparte on May 20, 1802".
It is also worth highlighting that, within the scope of João Lourenço's state visit to France, cooperation between Angola and the aforementioned European country was strengthened with the signing, this Wednesday, of six agreements.
The agreements were signed by Téte António, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to which VerAngola had access, among the legal instruments signed is the General Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Angola and the Government of the French Republic; the Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Angola and the Government of the French Republic in the field of Security and Internal Order, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Angola and the Government of the French Republic for the Implementation of the Palanca Yeto Biodiversity Preservation Project.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Angola and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic on the Establishment of Mechanisms for Political Consultations, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Angola and the Government of the French Republic for the Execution of the Prorega Project - Project to Support the Development of Irrigated Agriculture and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Angola and the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Associative Life of the French Republic on the cooperation in the field of sport.
The President of the Republic began a two-day state visit to France this Thursday, with his return to Angola scheduled for Saturday.