"It is very gratifying for me, before the end of my second term, to receive President João Lourenço at the end of July, on the last weekend of July", said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, confirming the official visit during the short stopover in the capital, before heading to Mozambique, where he will participate in the celebrations of the country's 50th anniversary of independence.
The Portuguese President added that, during his visit to Luanda after also visiting São Tomé and Príncipe, he spoke with João Lourenço about the “situation in the world, at this particularly difficult time”, within the framework of bilateral relations and the Portuguese-Speaking Community.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also highlighted the importance of Angola in the dialogue between Europe and Africa, recalling that João Lourenço is also expected to travel to Brussels for a meeting with the President of the European Council, António Costa, and a summit between the two blocs is planned for November.
“I confirmed that there will be a summit between the European Union and the African Union at that time, which shows the importance of Angola, the power that Angola has, particularly in its relations with other continents”, stressed the Portuguese President.
The Portuguese head of state praised Angola’s role as a “pivot” in political and economic summits, highlighting that what “goes well for Angola, goes well for Portugal, goes well for the Portuguese-speaking world and goes well, in general, for the ongoing dialogue between Europe and Africa.”
He also praised his personal relationship with João Lourenço, declaring that he “misses” the meetings they have had at the United Nations, on various occasions.
When asked about the recent approval, by the Council of Ministers, of the government’s proposals to amend the Portuguese nationality law, the President declined to comment as he was not familiar with the content of the law.
"I have this principle, I do not comment on ongoing legislative processes, and this one is not ongoing, it is at the beginning of the process", he concluded, indicating that he will await the processing in the Assembly of the Republic.
After Luanda, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will head to Maputo, where he will participate in the official ceremony of the 50th anniversary of Mozambique's independence.
