Angola promises “continuity presidency” at CPLP and focused on economic cooperation

"This presidency will be a continuity presidency. Cape Verde has now ended its presidency and what we are going to do is to take what, eventually, has not been concluded, for obvious reasons, including the pandemic, and proceed," said the Ambassador Francisco Oliveira Encoge at CPLP headquarters in Lisbon, where he presented his credentials to the organization's executive secretary.

However, the diplomat stressed that the "challenges today are new", depending on the current situation, and added: "We are going to do it differently, always within the framework of consensus among all Member States".

"They know that we have a presidency program, which has several aspects and the fundamental aspect mentions the intention of, together with the other Member States, working towards a new objective, that of economic cooperation in the CPLP", he recalled, referring to the final declaration of the summit of the organisation's heads of state and government, which took place on 17 July, in Luanda, and in which Angola assumed the presidency for two years.

But he added: "In addition to this objective, also in the three [traditional] pillars of organization, political and diplomatic concertation, promotion and dissemination of the Portuguese language and cooperation, we have concrete actions to be carried out", but preferred not to elaborate further on , referring the explanations for later.

As for the pursuit of the objective of economic cooperation, he said that the work will begin.

Oliveira Encoge announced that the minister of Foreign Affairs will visit the organization's headquarters next Thursday and that, on the same day, there will be the first meeting of the CPLP Permanent Consultation Committee (meeting of ambassadors of the nine countries), under the presidency of Angola.

In addition, he added: "Everything indicates that, within the framework of this new exercise of consensus for the agreement of the new objective, a tripartite meeting-Finance, Economy and Trade-for the second half of November is indicated."

The holders of these sectors "will focus on various aspects (...) with the aim of consolidating this new pillar", he specified.

Francisco Oliveira Encoge presented his credentials to the CPLP executive secretary, the Timorese Zacarias da Costa, who took office on 1 August.

Angola holds the rotating presidency of the CPLP and will thus have a permanent diplomatic representation in the organization.

Francisco Oliveira Encoge, who was director of the Office of Support to the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and African Countries of Portuguese Official Language (PALOP) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was already involved in the meetings that preceded the conference of heads of State and Government of the community, which took place on the 16th and 17th of July in Luanda.

The Angolan diplomat held, among other positions, that of Angolan consul in São Paulo, Brazil.

In addition to Angola, Timor-Leste will once again have a permanent diplomatic representation at the CPLP, led by ambassador Marina Ribeiro Alkatiry, the source said.