"We show special importance to the deepening of our relations in these bilateral talks, above all with the aim of raising the scope of economic, commercial and financial relations to the same level as our political relations", stated the Cuban statesman.
Speaking to the press, at the Presidential Palace in Luanda, where he is on his first day of official visit, Miguel Díaz-Canel ensured the maintenance and expansion of relations of friendship and solidarity with Angola.
"And we are pleased with the results achieved at the Angola-Cuba Bilateral Commission meeting held last April in Cuba, where important agreements emerged for the development of cooperation between our countries", he said.
He also considered that Angola is the African country with which Cuba "has the widest and most diverse cooperation" and, therefore, he noted, "we attach great importance to the signed agreements and other agreements that we are working on jointly for the period 2024-2023".
Speaking alongside his counterpart, João Lourenço, after both attended the signing of three memorandums of understanding between the official delegations of the two countries, Miguel Diáz-Canel expressed "satisfaction" for his visit to Angola, where he says he feels "at home" .
"Friendship, mutual respect and solidarity characterize our relationship, our history and closeness make us feel today here in Angola as if we were at our own home", he noted.
"Due to the affection and feeling we have for Angola, when we are here we feel at home too", he insisted.
He said, in his speech, that he was the bearer of an "affectionate hug" from the army general and former president of Cuba, Raul Castro, to the Angolan people, having also highlighted the bonds of friendship and solidarity between Luanda and Havana built with Agostinho Neto , with support to the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in the civil war.
He recalled that Angola is close to celebrating 48 years of independence, on November 11th, underlining that Cuba has a deep sense of struggle and gratitude for Agostinho Neto having given his country the opportunity to participate in the post-independence process.
Díaz-Canel also thanked the Government, people and President "for the support they have given us over all these years in the fight against the genocidal blockade of the Government of the United States of America against Cuba."
"We also thank the Angolan people for supporting Cuba in the dramatic moments we have experienced in recent years, particularly for the tons donated as a result of natural disasters in our country (...)", concluded the Cuban President.
Angola and Cuba are based on the General Cooperation Agreement, signed in February 1976, dealing with the fields of education and health.
Cuba has been Angola's strategic partner since independence, in 1975, and supported the country in defending its territorial integrity against the then South African Apartheid regime.
