“We would like to negotiate a new line, with other terms and conditions, to finance other infrastructure to be built, as they are important for the country's development, such as school and hospital infrastructure, roads, airports, energy transmission network and substation construction, drinking water distribution system and others”, said João Lourenço, in his official speech as part of the visit of his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to Angola.
For the head of state, the visit of the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil "is of great symbolism". "Because it is the first [visit] that is carried out in an African country, which demonstrates, in our opinion, the importance that our countries attribute to the relationship between themselves, taking into account the cultural affinities and our common history", he maintained. .
Speaking alongside his Brazilian counterpart, after the decoration ceremony, João Lourenço defended the definition of a “realistic and pragmatic” model of cooperation in view of the potential resources that both countries have.
“It is important that we define a realistic and pragmatic model of cooperation to derive reciprocal benefits in the field of agriculture, mineral resources, energy, industry, training of human resources with access to scientific and technological knowledge that your country can provide us”, he stressed, addressing his counterpart.
Angola, he stressed, "is a country open to the world and, therefore, always available for the development of economic, technical and scientific partnerships with all the nations of our planet".
He recalled that Angola and Brazil share the same language, culture, habits and customs and the same climate, being tropical countries in the process of development and with great potential in human resources, land, water, forests and a diverse range of minerals.
“Our common struggle is to make the best possible use of all this great existing potential, transforming it into real wealth for the benefit of our peoples, reducing poverty, illiteracy, hunger and misery. We are all committed to increasing the offer of jobs, housing, primary health care, teaching and education, ”he noted.
According to the President, Brazil is a natural ally for Angola. The strategic partnership signed between the two countries in 2010 must therefore "be revitalized" in order to imprint "a new dynamic in bilateral cooperation relations", he highlighted.
João Lourenço thanked Brazil for having provided a line of financing in the past, which he said had contributed a lot to the construction of infrastructure in several important sectors of the country, with the debt having been “completely settled within the agreed terms”.
In addition to his interest in negotiating a new line of credit, he defended the creation, by Brazil, of a fund to support private investment to be used by businessmen interested in doing business in Angola, which today has a “healthy” business environment. .
This Friday Lula da Silva completed the first of two days of official visit to Angola.
