Speaking at a lecture on the "Importance of Mineral Resources for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development in Angola", the minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, explained that the calculations on reserves were carried out and certified by competent people at international level, who have proven experience.
Cited by Angop, Diamantino Azevedo added that although Angola is dependent on oil, all mineral resources play an important role in the country's development. Therefore, he considered it necessary to add value to resources such as oil and gas, through their transformation into refineries, among others.
The minister also spoke about environmental issues: the exploitation of these resources must be responsible with regard to the environment, must respect the surrounding populations as well as make good use of the revenues with a view to expanding the country's fortune.
"These are important resources and for many decades they will continue to be, what can happen is, according to technological development, one or another mineral may become less important and others will become more famous than they have today," he said.
He also indicated that fossil resources, among others, are considered harmful to the environment, with strong disapproval of their exploitation. However, the official admitted that these resources can be seen as "a blessing" for the country, but that they can become a "curse" if not properly exploited.
He also considered that it is said that Angola is rich in mineral resources, but that this fortune is still on land, and it is necessary to extract and transform these resources for the benefit of the populations. However, this is a time-consuming process and it needs people who are properly trained to carry it out.
