The Embassy of Angola in Cairo organized a ceremony to celebrate the National Day. The event was attended by ambassadors and representatives from the Arab, African, European, and American diplomatic corps.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly emphasized the strong and multifaceted relations between Egypt and Angola at both official and popular levels. Minister Plenipotentiary Trade Yahya Al Wathiq Billah delivered the prime minister’s speech during the embassy’s celebration of Angola’s 48th independence anniversary. Madbouly expressed Egypt’s pride in the brotherly relations with Angola and its commitment to enhancing economic cooperation. He highlighted the importance of leveraging the strong political ties between the two countries to foster concrete commercial, industrial, and investment projects that benefit both economies. Egypt also pledged its support for Angola’s development efforts by providing technical assistance and capacity-building programs.
Madbouly commended Angola’s impressive economic growth, considering it a successful model in Africa. He expressed Egypt’s keen interest in increasing trade and investments between the two countries, with a focus on strengthening the role of the business sector in this regard.
November 11, 1975, is the Independence Day of the Republic of Angola. On this day, the first president of Angola, Augustino Neto, declared independence from Portuguese colonization after 500 years.
The Egyptian Prime Minister mentioned that the relationship between Angola and Portugal dates back to the 1960s when Angolan nationalists fought for independence. These relations were further strengthened in 1976 with the opening of the Angolan embassy in Egypt.
He also highlighted that the history of these relations can be traced back to 1965 when the former Foreign Minister, Paulo George, established the first regional office of the people’s movement for the liberation of Angola (MPLA) to support the Angolan liberation movements against Portuguese colonization.
The Prime Minister referred to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s visit to Angola in June, which marked the first visit by an Egyptian president to Angola. President Joao Lourenco of Angola appreciated President al-Sisi’s active role in addressing African issues and advancing the development and security of the continent.
Ambassador Hamdi Sanad Loza, Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs, confirmed that both countries aim to strengthen their cooperation frameworks. He emphasized Egypt’s active role in supporting the liberation movements in Angola and Mozambique and its support for the resolution on territories under Portuguese domination during the first ordinary summit of the OAU in Cairo in 1964.
Ambassador Loza concluded by stating that Egypt and Angola, with their commitment to regional integration and vast potential, can actively contribute to the realization of the continental free trade agreement and a united African Union.
In his speech, Ambassador Nelson Manuel Cosme, the Angolan Ambassador to Cairo, mentioned that this event commemorates the 48th anniversary of Angola’s independence, proclaimed on November 11, 1975, by the late President Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto. He acknowledged the socio-economic challenges faced by Angola and the need for diversification, human capital development, industrialization, and attracting new investments.
Ambassador Cosme highlighted the distinctive and historical relations between Angola and Egypt that have spanned several decades. The bilateral relations, friendship, and business partnerships have been strengthened through continued coordination and consultations on regional political issues of common interest.
Angola currently holds the presidency of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, and is a candidate for the presidency of the African Union (AU) in 2025. The country has implemented policies to deepen democratic experiences, apply political and economic reforms, improve the business environment, combat corruption, and promote good governance under the leadership of President Joao Lourenco.
There are significant opportunities for collaboration between the two countries in the fields of electricity, infrastructure projects, information technology, fisheries, and petroleum industries. Angola, being a major crude oil producer in Africa, is keen to cooperate with Egypt in the oil sector and share its expertise. Such cooperation can contribute to the sustainable development of both countries.
Ambassador Cosme expressed Angola’s aspiration to work with Egypt in addressing the challenges faced by the continent. He also expressed gratitude for Egypt’s support during the Portuguese colonial period and the Angolan Civil War, which lasted over 27 years.
Source: Daily News Egypt
