Paulo Rangel, who was speaking to journalists in Luanda after a meeting with his Angolan counterpart, Téte António, added that this year the increase is already more than 12 percent, over the value in the same period last year, which means that "there is a capacity to respond".
With regard to Schengen visas, he continued, "almost 85 percent of visas granted to Angolan citizens are given by the Portuguese State", admitting, however, "some bottlenecks" in some consular posts, so a plan was designed to try reduce these difficulties.
"Eliminating it from one day to the next is impossible, but the aim is to reduce its impact [of strangulations], making the rights of citizens, Angolan and Portuguese, effective", said the head of Portuguese diplomacy, highlighting that measures are being taken, such as sending 45 experts to priority consular posts to resolve peaks in influx, which will be "quickly put into effect".
Paulo Rangel said that the meeting also served to review the state of bilateral relations and to prepare the visit of the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, scheduled for 23 to 25 July, and to evaluate new areas of cooperation between the two States.
The topic of the CPLP mobility agreement was also discussed to "give citizens of the countries the exercise of the right provided for in this agreement", which he considered "a priority".
The minister was asked again about Portugal's reparations to former colonies, stating that what is at stake is creating a good relationship and healing the wounds of history, "which always exist", promoting reconciliation and taking advantage of past mistakes in a pedagogical way.
Paulo Rangel also praised the President, João Lourenço's role as "great mediator", in the conflicts in the Great Lakes, and beyond.
"There is a vocation here for peace and stability in the State of Angola, which is internationally recognized and which Portugal follows with interest", he declared.
