Rafael Vidal, who was speaking in Luanda as part of the commemorations of the bicentennial of Brazil's independence, noted that the prospects for the economy of the two countries are favorable, so "the challenge" is to increase trade flows to the level of 1.4 billion of dollars.
The diplomat stressed that trade is accompanied by investments in infrastructure, agriculture, industry and health, such as the Cabinda refinery, the Barra do Dante maritime terminal, the Laúca hydroelectric plant and the first drug factory in Angola in the Luanda Special Economic Zone.
Also under construction is the first pig iron factory, residential buildings at controlled costs, a gas-based power plant, rice plantations and there is prospect of bilateral investment in the production of fertilizers.
The positive signs, he said, have been favored by the resumption of commercial flights between Luanda and Guarulhos (São Paulo), with the possibility of expanding to 14 weekly frequencies by 2023, depending on demand in the cargo segment.
He also underlined Brazil's vocation to support the Angolan agricultural sector, having signed in June a cooperation program in agriculture in irrigated areas and family farming, with a focus on the Cunene Valley.
"We are confident that the Brazilian experience of transposing the São Francisco River and irrigating the semi-arid region of the Brazilian Northeast will be useful to Angola in the development program for Vale do Cunene", stressed Rafael Vidal.
Soon, the Brazilian embassy in Luanda will also have an agricultural attaché "to support and encourage business partnerships in the agricultural sector and for the construction of cooperation projects for the diversification of the Angolan agricultural production base".
Another essential area within the scope of the strategic partnership is defence, and an agreement is at an advanced stage of consultations for the training of Angolan troops at the Sérgio Vieira de Mello Center in Rio de Janeiro, destined for the United Nations Rapid Acting Forces (UN Rapid forces).
In the field of health, the Brazilian Government is interested in expanding the pilot project for the implantation and implementation of the Human Milk Bank, inaugurated in November 2019 at the Lucrécia Paim Maternity and other projects in the area of training doctors in cardiology and fight against leprosy.
Rafael Vidal also mentioned humanitarian donations, such as the recent delivery of 1.5 million doses of the Triple Viral vaccine (rubella, mumps and measles).
Brazil is also "in an advanced stage of negotiating a memorandum of cooperation in sustainable tourism, which will promote business partnerships and Brazilian investments that promote the development of the tourism sector in Angola, with environmental sustainability counterparts and for the benefit of local communities".
Brazil is one of the countries that has already congratulated the President, João Lourenço, after the release of the official results of the elections, which are contested by the opposition, and which should be validated today, or not, by the Constitutional Court.
Rafael Vidal said that Brazil "has always been and will continue to be Angola's preferred partner in its national development project".
