Luís Montenegro landed in Luanda shortly after 7:00 am and the official program started at 10:00 am (same time in Lisbon) at the Agostinho Neto Memorial, a monument built in Praça da República, in Luanda, to perpetuate the memory of the country's first President.
It was inaugurated in 2012 by President José Eduardo dos Santos, consisting of a central block that holds the sarcophagus where Agostinho Neto's remains rest, as well as a museum, documentation center and other infrastructure.
The tomb of President José Eduardo dos Santos is also located in this Square, in an adjacent building.
The Portuguese Prime Minister laid a wreath of flowers on the sarcophagus of the first President of the Republic, paid a visit to the Memorial and signed the book of honor.
"It is with immense honor and pleasure that, on my first visit to Angola, I leave a testimony of respect and admiration for the life of Agostinho Neto," he wrote.
This is Montenegro's first official visit to Angola and, according to the Portuguese executive, it reflects the priority given by the Government to strengthening the relationship with Portuguese-speaking countries and, in particular, with Angola.
During his trip, which will pass through Luanda and Benguela, the Prime Minister is accompanied by the Ministers of State and Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, and Minister of Economy, Pedro Reis, as well as the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Nuno Sampaio, (representing the responsible minister, Paulo Rangel, who is in Rio de Janeiro at the G20 meeting) and the Secretary of State for Treasury and Finance, João Silva Lopes.
After the ceremony at the Memorial, the highlight of the first day follows: the meeting with the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, at the Presidential Palace, preceded by military honors and a troop review ceremony.
The talks between the delegations of the two countries will first begin with a private meeting between Luís Montenegro and João Lourenço, to which extended delegations will later join, ending with interventions by the two heads of Government and a joint press conference.
On that occasion, several legal instruments will be signed between the two countries.
