"What can Cape Verde expect from Angola? It can expect a lot, everything possible. We are in good faith when we say that we want to make up for lost time. We want to set the bar for cooperation between our countries as high as possible", said João Lourenço, after meeting with the Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Ulisses Correia e Silva, during the state visit he is carrying out to the archipelago.
At the Government Palace, the Angolan head of state and the Cape Verdean prime minister attended the signing of an agreement between the administrations of the state-owned airlines of the two countries for the leasing by TAAG of a Boeing 737-700 ', to Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde (TACV), an aircraft that arrived this Monday in Praia to guarantee the medium-haul connections of the archipelago.
At the same ceremony, which marked the conclusions of the meeting of the VIII Joint Commission of the two countries – the first in 14 years – a Bilateral Agreement on Air Services was signed between the two governments, a Memorandum of Understanding on Air Transport between the ministries of the Transport of the two countries, and a Memorandum of Technical Cooperation between the Civil Aviation Agency of Cape Verde (AAC) and the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) of Angola.
"It is true that we are practically starting now, but we are starting well, in our opinion. We are going to take firm steps, safe steps, in the sense of being able to balance, year by year and whenever the mixed committee meets to correct what will eventually If anything goes wrong, it won't work, but confident that the objective is to improve and increasingly increase the level of our economic cooperation, the level of trade between our two countries", said the President, João Lourenço.
The Cape Verdean Prime Minister, Ulisses Correia e Silva, underlined Cape Verde's support for Angola's intention to integrate, as an observer, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS): "We would like to support - because we know that this is Angola's desire - to sponsor the presentation of Angola as an ECOWAS observer country and to be able to be together in a region of interest".
He added that Cape Verde is interested in Angolan investments "in all areas", but pointed to tourism, real estate, maritime economy and digital economy, which join sectors that are already representative of Luanda's commitment to the archipelago today, such as energy, transport, banking. and telecommunications.
The internationalization of Angolan companies was also defended by João Lourenço: "Internationalization does not weaken it, on the contrary. The internationalization of companies only strengthens them. We are of the opinion that Cape Verdean entrepreneurs should take advantage of this good moment, of opening, in that at the political level, we, the Heads of State, the Heads of Government, are creating the necessary environment for Angolans to invest here, in Cape Verde, and Cape Verdeans in Angola".
The creation of a Development Bank of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), a proposal presented by Angola, which holds the rotating presidency of the institution, also deserves the support of the Cape Verdean prime minister.
"It can be a good instrument to boost financing under conditions that respond to the needs of the CPLP countries, particularly the African countries that are part of the CPLP", said Ulisses Correia e Silva.
The President, João Lourenço, arrived in Praia on Sunday and this Monday started the official program of the State visit to Cape Verde, repaying the one carried out in January by Cape Verdean President, José Maria Neves, to Luanda.
In the afternoon, João Lourenço spoke at a special session at the National Assembly and on Tuesday he travels to Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente, where he will visit points of economic interest, such as the fish conservation company Frescomar and the Estação of Desalinated Water Production, in addition to receiving the keys to the city.
The departure from Cape Verde, from the island of São Vicente, is scheduled for Wednesday.
