"Relations between Angola and Portugal are very strong, but they may even be more intense. It is true that the two countries, in recent years, have experienced difficulties in their national economies and this has perhaps led to greater difficulties in international relations, but I think that conditions are now created, with more macroeconomic stability, both for Portugal and Angola, so that a path of growth can be resumed, which, among other things, requires opening up to other markets", highlighted this Tuesday in Luanda the former minister .
Pedro Siza Vieira, who participated as a speaker in the presentation of the study "Banking in Analysis 2022", promoted by the consultancy Deloitte, addressed the structural transformation that the world economy is going through and the perspectives of the relationship between the countries of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) in the new context, which, he said, will require "major adjustments" at the international level.
He focused in particular on the relationship between Portugal and Angola, noting the similarities between two countries that have gone through critical moments and stressing that Portugal must actively explore what he considered to be "reciprocal opportunities".
Today, he stressed, the two countries are in a more solid financial situation than they had in the past, and the conditions have been created to develop investment and trade relations.
The former minister, currently practicing law, highlighted an "intense" common history that is not exempt from discomfort and underlined that, within the scope of the CPLP, the Portuguese State is the one that has fought the most for free movement, despite being conditioned for being part of the Schengen area.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, he considered that the signing of the mobility agreement was "a very important step", with Portugal having already transposed the rules relating to the CPLP visa into national legislation, and said that the Angolan and Portuguese governments should support the companies that want to do business in both countries.
Regarding Angola, he noted the "great adjustment process" in recent years, in economic terms and in public finances, as well as in the exchange rate system, which has made it possible to improve macroeconomic stability "which is being translated into the growth that the economy is experiencing and which will probably continue in the near future".
"The international context is challenging, but the steps that have been taken seem to be bearing fruit and Angola even seems to be growing and reducing inflation in counter-cycle with other countries in the world", stressed Pedro Siza Vieira.
He also stressed that Portugal has been fighting within the European Union (EU) for the approximation of the African continent and "cannot do without building its own relations with countries that speak its language".
