Fruitful Talks Between Cuban and Angolan Presidents

The Cuban president Miguel Díaz Canel Bermúdez met with his Angolan counterpart, João Lourenço, as part of the program of activities he is carrying out during his official visit to Angola.

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Bermúdez said he was very pleased with the results of the meeting, in which he acknowledged the sincere feelings of friendship and mutual trust between the two government teams.

The Cuban president added that this meeting has reinforced the will of both nations to expand and consolidate the spheres of collaboration and mutual interest, also recalling the priority place that the Cuban nation retains for Angola.

He also made reference to the historical friendship between Agostinho Neto and the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, which was forged in the same context of the independence of the African country, and the proclamation of Neto as the first president of independent Angola.

The tweet reads, "Our state visit to Angola confirms the friendship and mutual trust that characterize bilateral relations. In official farewell ceremony I reiterated to brother President João Lourenço deep gratitude for his hospitality and willingness to strengthen ties."

João Lourenço received an official invitation from Díaz Canel to attend the next Summit of the Group of 77 plus China, which will be inaugurated in the Cuban capital in September. Along with this invitation, the Cuban president extended an invitation for Lourenco to officially visit the island.

Parallel to the official talks between the two leaders, collaboration agreements have been signed in different branches. One of those that has been announced is a bilateral agreement to develop tourism development projects. In this context, Esther Armenteros, Cuban ambassador to Angola, and the Angolan Minister of Culture and Tourism, Filipe Zau, participated.

The tweet reads, "The "Angola-Cuba" school in Luanda is an example of the cooperation and indestructible friendship between both countries. We planted a tree there as a symbol of the commitment to strengthen and keep alive in the younger generations the historical legacy and solidarity that unites us."

The Cuban ambassador to the African country also signed a memorandum with the Angolan Agency for the Regulation of Medicines and Health Technologies, which will unite the Angolan agency with the Center for State Control of Medicines, Medical Equipment and Devices of Cuba, in scientific and industrial cooperation.

And perhaps the agreement of greatest economic scope for both countries is a third agreement, signed this time by the executive director of the Luanda-Bengo Economic Zone, Manuel Francisco Pedro, and the Mariel Special Development Zone in Cuba.

These actions comply with the Cuban president's remarks upon his arrival in Luanda, when he stated that his wish is for this visit to facilitate “in a better and more efficient way the potential to increase the level of economic, commercial and financial relations in the areas of collaboration, investments and foreign trade, placing them at the level of the excellent and historical political relations we have.”