President Dos Santos on state-visit in the USA

In the framework of the official visit President Jose Eduardo dos Santos was paying to the United States, he and G. W. Bush have discussed the consolidation of the peace process and the democratic institutions in the African country. Dos Santos has thereby outlined to his counterpart and his top aides a complete view of the positive development of the situation prevailing in Angola, since the signing of the Peace Accords, in April 04, 2002, that put an end to the three-decade of armed conflict. The president stressed the progresses achieved in the humanitarian aid field, which enabled the return and resettlement of more than three million displaced people, and the recruitment of teachers to attend over one million children. At the same time, the Angolan Head of State informed that the country still in need of emergency aid from the World Food Programme (WFP), in which the US is its largest donor and thanked President Bush for the important contribution from the US.

Concerning the post-war reconstruction, the Angolan leader said that the effort of the country itself is still very insufficient to restore important infrastructures, such as roads, bridges and power system, which are very useful for the economic development of the country. President Santos called on the US for a more dynamic intervention, aiming the holding of the much-awaited international donors conference, in order to get funds for the rebuilding of a country devastated by a three-decade of war.

He furthermore also held separate meetings with top officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), in the respective headquarters in Washington. A source close to the IMF made known that the meeting "was good", as it occurred at the time President Jose Eduardo dos Santos made known the economic situation of Angola in a "clear-sightedness" way. The source added that this international financial institution examined the explanation made by the Angolan President, what means that the relations between the Angolan Government and the Fund will be consolidated.

During a meeting that the Angolan statesman held with US business people, Eduardo dos Santos said the talks that the Angolan Government is having with the IMF and the WB has allowed the re-establishment of reciprocal confidence. The President added this will lead to agreements at short term, which will enable to solve all the differences of past opinions and to reinsert the Angolan economy into the international scenario. (Angola Press Agency, Luanda)