In a message sent to the Guinean head of state, Lourenço "encourages his Guinean counterpart to continue the actions leading to the expansion of the national democratic spectrum so that all the living forces of the Guinean nation can feel involved in the process of consolidating national unity", reads in a note from the Angolan Presidency.
According to the same statement, the President "congratulated today the People and Government of Guinea-Bissau on the celebration, Saturday, of the forty-ninth (49th) anniversary of the Independence of that sister country".
João Lourenço also expressed to Umaro Sissoco Embaló "his interest in deepening the existing friendship and cooperation relations between Angola and Guinea-Bissau, with a view to projecting a promising future for the respective peoples".
Guinea-Bissau's independence was declared unilaterally on 24 September 1973 and recognized by Portugal a year later, after the 25th of April.
