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Portuguese government has made TAP aware of the importance of countries with strong connections such as Angola

The Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities said on Friday, in Luanda, that the Government has made TAP's administration aware of the importance of countries with Portuguese communities or with strong ties to Portugal, finding "receptiveness" to the company.

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Paulo Cafôfo, who was speaking at the end of a visit to the Portuguese School of Luanda (EPL), on the final stretch of his trip to Angola, was responding to Lusa about the complaints of Portuguese people in Luanda regarding the lack of direct connections to the Porto where he travels, often a significant part of the community residing in Angola.

There are currently several air connections between Luanda and Lisbon, with the recent entry of new 'players' such as the Spanish Iberia, but for now neither the Portuguese TAP nor the Angolan TAAG have resumed flights to Porto, as was the case before the pandemic.

The Portuguese official said that just this week he met with the executive president of TAP, who expressed "great concern" with regard to serving countries that have Portuguese communities, as well as those with which Portugal maintains privileged relations.

"The issue is to see, in terms of growth, what is possible to do within the context in which TAP is and there are options that belong to the administration itself, and not to the Government", added Paulo Cafôfo.

The Secretary of State recalled that TAP is currently undergoing a restructuring process to ensure the company's conditions of viability and sustainability.

"What the Portuguese Government can do - and that's what I did this week - is to make TAP's administration aware of the importance not only of Portuguese communities, but also of countries with which Portugal has strong links, such as Angola", he reinforced, insisting that he found great receptivity on the part of TAP for what was transmitted.

"This is work that we must continue to do, ensuring that we do not commit crazy things. TAP has to be very rigorous in its restructuring from a financial point of view, but what I could witness is that there is great sensitivity to these issues," he said.

The Secretary of State stressed the desire to strengthen the "excellent" relationship that currently exists between the two governments, having addressed issues related to the functioning of the Consulate General in Luanda in this two-day trip, with the aim of introducing improvements in order to provide "a better service".

As he said, the improvements will have an immediate impact with regard to the issuance of visas and citizen cards, thanks to the reinforcement of the number of employees, at the end of the month, and the introduction of technological means that allow better accessibility to the services of the consulate, from the 25th of June.

"We are committed to the proper functioning so that the granting of visas or consultation acts can be carried out effectively", highlighted Paulo Cafôfo.

The official also highlighted the Portuguese School in Luanda (the largest, outside the national territory) as another focus of the visit, considering that it is an "exemplary" educational establishment, also resulting from Portugal's investment in education.

Regarding the conflicts over the cooperative that managed the EPL, which culminated in September last year with the Portuguese State assuming, "transitory", the direct management of the Portuguese School in Luanda, he says that the correct option was taken.

"What has been this short experience has been positive, what we want is for the quality of teaching to be maintained and what I think is that this option is correct", he said.

"We attended a normal school year and what we wish is that it can continue, that this management continues to belong to the Portuguese State. That is what we intend for the coming years", said the Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities.

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