Fernando Medina, who is on his second day of visit to Luanda, held a meeting with Portuguese businessmen on Monday, stressing that he felt on the part of the companies "a great commitment to Angola, a great feeling of joy and pride" for being able to contribute and be in the country.
"Many, in fact, are part of companies that work, that have Angolan workers, Angolan staff, partners, people who are in many cases true partnerships and joint ventures. Several companies have been in Angola for many decades, and have always been here and want to continue to to be present here", said Fernando Medina, highlighting the presence of companies "in good times and bad times".
The holder of the Portuguese Finance portfolio stressed that the priorities defined by the Angolan Government "are very clear and very well understood by the Portuguese business community".
"Whether in the important investment in the construction of a set of fundamental infrastructures, from basic infrastructure, roads, railways, sanitation, water supply, but also a new generation of investment policies linked to the diversification of the economic base and the strengthening of of the strategic economy, namely the food areas or energy areas", he stressed.
Fernando Medina stressed that it is necessary to move from "the manifestation of commitment, the recognition of this clarity, to the translation into concrete acts".
"It means, on the part of Portuguese companies, a set of investments, operations, transformations and those that are here in the first place, those that know Angola very well, but then also calling other companies, calling other investments, other investors who can support this effort," he said.
"Above all, I felt a great desire and joy to be able to continue", stressed the minister, underlining that the demands of Portuguese businessmen were more turned to the Ministry of Finance, in the sense of streamlining the procedures of the Portuguese instruments available, namely credit to export "to let things go faster".
With regard to Angola's debt to Portugal, Fernando Medina referred that the Angolan State has had an irreproachable relationship with regard to the treatment of its debt with Portugal as well as with other creditors.
"It is a country that has a solid reputation from an international financial point of view and therefore it will not be an issue to be addressed", he said, adding that "there is a normal flow in relation to that debt, an area that functions normally and therefore does not is cause for concern."
