Mirex said in a statement that Foreign Minister Téte António spoke in Johannesburg with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the first official interaction since the American diplomat was appointed to the post.
According to the same note, the dialogue focused on "bilateral, regional and multilateral interests, with emphasis on the situation of instability in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo), where the conflict between the DRCongo and Rwanda threatens security in the Great Lakes region.
"The US Secretary of State recognised Angola's fundamental role in mediating conflicts in the region and reiterated the US Government's support for the Angolan leadership in the search for peace in the DRC", highlights Mirex.
The two officials "committed to intensifying diplomatic cooperation between the two countries, to strengthen coordination within the framework of international and regional conflict resolution mechanisms", with a view to "adopting concrete measures to achieve a sustainable solution to the crisis".
Mirex adds that bilateral relations between Angola and the United States "have evolved significantly over the last few decades", with growing cooperation in areas such as economy, security and culture, following the formal recognition of the Angolan government by the US in 1993.
Recently, in December 2024, former US President Joe Biden made a historic visit to Angola, the first by a US head of state to the country, which included a visit to the Lobito Corridor, a railway designed to facilitate the transport of critical minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo through Angola to the port of Lobito.
"Collaboration in the area of security has also been a priority. In April 2024, Angola and the US signed agreements in the aviation and defense sectors, including an Air Services Agreement that establishes overflight and permanence rights, in addition to encouraging fair competition between airlines of the two countries", concludes Mirex.
