"We came to Portugal to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two countries – Angola and Portugal. Relations between our two countries have never been at such a high level, and what we intend to do is work to maintain that level and, if possible, improve it," said João Lourenço.
The head of state was speaking during a statement he delivered after a meeting with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at Belém Palace, where he was received with military honors.
As Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa completes the final months of his term as head of state, João Lourenço recalled the friendship of the Portuguese president, who visited Angola at least seven times on various occasions, including his inaugurations, as well as "state" and "working" visits.
"He was present at the difficult time for Angola and the Angolans, when we lost President José Eduardo dos Santos," he recalled, stating that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is the head of state who has visited Angola the most times.
For João Lourenço, "this is a sign of consideration, more than that, of friendship, between countries, but above all between peoples."
He added: "We could not miss this visit while he is still head of state, since we know that the time is approaching when he will have to hand over the presidential seat to whoever is elected to replace him."
"We are grateful that Portugal is giving us the opportunity to work at this high level, with the President of the Republic, as well as the opportunity for the meetings we will have later" with the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, and the President of the Assembly of the Republic.
João Lourenço also welcomed the opportunity to participate in a dialogue with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Saturday, which will conclude the EuroaAfrican forum.
The two heads of state will participate in the "Dialogue between Presidents" on Saturday, as part of the Euro-African Forum 2025, taking place at the NOVA University School of Business and Economics in Cascais.
"We will take this opportunity to discuss not only bilateral relations between our two countries, but also relations with the African continent, as I currently hold the presidency of the African Union (AU). We will certainly discuss the major challenges facing the world at this time: food security, energy security, peace, and security, which concern everyone," he said.
Before João Lourenço's statement, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke about relations between the two countries, concluding that both countries have been faithful to their peoples.
João Lourenço arrived in Lisbon late Thursday afternoon. After meeting with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, he continued to the official residence of the Portuguese Prime Minister, where he will meet with Luís Montenegro, followed by a working lunch.
In the afternoon, João Lourenço is scheduled to meet with Portuguese businesspeople at the Palácio das Necessidades, before signing four bilateral cooperation instruments and visiting the Assembly of the Republic, where he is scheduled to meet with the President of Parliament, José Pedro Aguiar Branco.
President João Lourenço is the guest of honor at an official dinner hosted by his Portuguese counterpart at the Palácio da Ajuda, before meeting, in his capacity as acting President of the AU, with the Group of African Ambassadors accredited in Lisbon.
On Saturday, the second day of the visit, João Lourenço and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will participate in the EuroaAfrican Forum 2025.
During this official visit, several bilateral cooperation instruments will be signed.
