According to a statement from CIPRA, to which VerAngola had access, it was during the afternoon of this Thursday that the head of State was received with honors at the Sultan's Palace.
"In the middle of the afternoon this Thursday, 19th, President João Lourenço's state visit to the Sultanate of Oman formally began, with the formal reception ceremony outside the Palace", the note reads.
Upon arrival, the President of the Republic was greeted by Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said, "next to whom he heard the playing of the National Anthem of the Republic of Angola, at the same time as 21 cannon salutes were fired".
On that occasion, the heads of state also met their respective delegations, having proceeded "to a broad meeting that then gave way to a more restricted one (téte a téte)", and in these two moments, "the reinforcement of cooperative relations between the two nations was the motto".
"Both Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik and President João Lourenço highlighted the way in which cooperation between Oman and Angola is developing, with effective and high-impact actions taking place without delays or obstacles", having highlighted, among other examples the "entry of Oman into the exercise of diamond production in Angola (Catoca and Luele) and the authorization, by the Angolan authorities, to open a Sultanate bank in Angola, with the purpose of making business between the two countries fluid", says the statement.
Thursday was also marked by the signing of agreements between the two countries, the ceremony of which was witnessed by the two heads of state. Among the agreements signed, one between the Ministry of Finance and the Investment Bank of Oman stands out, which aims to strengthen economic and financial ties between both countries.
"The Ministry of Finance of Angola and the Investment Bank of Oman signed today [Thursday] in Muscat, capital of the Sultanate, a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes a framework of strategic cooperation with the aim of strengthening economic and financial ties between both countries", points out CIPRA, in another statement to which VerAngola had access.
"The aforementioned agreement seals the two-day state visit that President João Lourenço carries out to the Sultanate of Oman and which today focused on aspects of a political, diplomatic and economic nature", adds the note.
The agreement envisages launching a financial instrument in the Muscat market, valued at around 100 million dollars, to diversify the economy, as well as aiming to develop cross-border banking and financial partnerships.
In addition, two other legal instruments were also signed between the two countries. These are the Agreement for the Acquisition of Shares in the Catoca and Luele Diamond Mines in Angola and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Exploration of Cooperation Opportunities in the Energy Sector, between the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas and the Massadr Energy Group.
It is worth noting that the Agreement for the Acquisition of Shares in the Catoca and Luele Diamond Mines in Angola will allow the Maaden Investment group to enter the prospecting, exploration and commercialization of diamonds in the Luele and Catoca projects. This company thus replaces the Russian Alrosa, which Angola cut ties with due to the sanctions applied to the company due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
"For the mining sector, there is already an agreement for Maaden, a subsidiary of the Sovereign Fund of Oman, to take Alrosa's place in Catoca and (indirectly) in Luele", said the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo.
"Soon we will effectively have a new partner in these two operating companies," he said, speaking to the press.
Regarding the oil sector, the official said that the two countries would also sign a memorandum, which will allow the two countries "to work on possible segments of the industry, such as prospecting, production and storage of fuels".
The first day of the visit was also marked by an official dinner hosted by the Sultan of Oman, where the two exchanged gifts. João Lourenço was given a sword, while the Sultan received a work of art.
For this Friday, the last day of the visit, João Lourenço's agenda includes a visit to the National Museum of Oman.
