"We are in the process of rotating ambassadors – ambassadors who are heads of missions –, a process that continues as we receive the agreements granted by the accrediting countries", began the head of state, speaking at the inauguration ceremony.
"This is a process that aims to, let's say, refresh our diplomacy," he added.
João Lourenço said that "ambassadors should not spend too much time in the missions to which they are accredited, in the countries where they are accredited, as others do", pointing out that all countries are concerned "with regularly doing this rotation" and that "with Angola, it cannot be different".
In his speech, the President of the Republic also wished the newly sworn-in candidates "great success": "What I have to wish those sworn in is that they have great success in carrying out the duties they will be exercising from today, now in another country."
The Head of State reiterated that the mission of the diplomats is to improve Angola's relations with the countries where they are accredited: "Your mission – it cannot be repeated enough – is to seek to take, to the highest possible level, relations between our country, Angola, and the countries where you will be accredited; to seek to attract foreign investment from these countries to Angola; to promote tourism, attract tourism and tourists to Angola, and to strengthen the bonds of friendship and economic cooperation, in a broader sense, between our countries."
According to a note from the Presidency of the Republic, to which VerAngola had access, the four heads of diplomatic missions who took office on Tuesday morning, are the ambassadors in Rwanda, Spain, Zimbabwe and Morocco.
"Balbina Malheiros da Silva, previously Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola to the Federal Republic of Germany, will go to Madrid (Spain)", while Alfredo Dombe, previously head of the Angolan diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Spain, will represent the country in Kigali (Rwanda).
"In Harare (Zimbabwe), Baltazar Diogo Cristóvão will work, who before this rotation cycle decided by the President of the Republic held the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola in the Kingdom of Morocco", says the note, which adds that "José Filipe was sworn in to carry out a mission in Rabat as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola in the Kingdom of Morocco".
