Osvaldo Mboco, who spoke to Lusa regarding the visit that the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, is paying to Angola, from Tuesday to Thursday, said that the stability of relations stands out due to the number of diplomatic contacts between the two States, with mutual visits by the heads of diplomacy of the two countries and relations between the two heads of state.
"These diplomatic contacts give us the idea that relations are experiencing a moment of stability and a good moment in this period", he stressed, also highlighting the volume of business that is registered within the framework of the balance of payments between the two States.
Portugal is one of the biggest exporters to Angola and also one of the biggest investors, just look at "the number of Portuguese companies that exist in Angola, whether with mixed capital or otherwise", emphasized the specialist in international relations.
For Osvaldo Mboco, the issue of mobility can improve, "because Angolans have many difficulties in moving to Portugal", a privileged destination for many Angolans in Europe.
"There is indeed some difficulty in accessing visas. At a time when Angola has exempted approximately 90 countries, one of these countries is Portugal", he highlighted.
Despite Portugal having commitments in terms of the Schengen area and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) visa having facilitated a series of procedures, the academic insisted that "the issue of mobility could be better resolved, because there are a lot of complaints by many Angolans".
The expert stressed that difficulties in obtaining a visa mean that Angolans often have to "look for schemes" and highlighted that improving mobility can help to strengthen relations between people, from a cultural, social, academic and scientific point of view.
According to Osvaldo Mboco, there is also a need for better treatment and security for Angolans who emigrated to Portugal, who are often subject to "discrimination" and "evasion on the part of the Portuguese authorities on this matter", while the Portuguese are treated by Angolans "in a very polite, friendly way".
In terms of economic cooperation, the academic considered that Portuguese companies should expand their investments to other areas, "not simply in the drinks sector, banking, consultancy", but also in agriculture, for example.
Angola's proximity to other international partners, such as China, Russia and the United States of America (USA), does not interfere in any way in relations between the two States, because "Angola is a country in which there is space to cooperate and develop commercial activities and partnerships with several States", given the fact that its development, both economic and social, is still in a growth phase, said Osvaldo Mboco.
According to the analyst, Portugal should open up the prospect of greater cultural and academic exchange with Angolan State institutions and could also "use as an asset" being the gateway for Angolan products to Europe, helping Angola to guarantee the necessary standards of production quality.
Asked whether the legal proceedings taking place in Portugal involving Angolan citizens could create a new irritant in relations between the two countries, the analyst said he believes so, if the Angolan State notices that its interests are being called into question.
"It can also [create a new irritant] if the Angolan State analyzes that its fellow citizens are not receiving fair treatment. It is important to emphasize that agreements from a judicial point of view between Portugal and Angola must work towards greater collaboration in judicial aspects and monitoring of cases by the State, so that no doubts arise afterwards about the fairness and transparency of the case", he stated.
