Cooperation accords signed with South Africa

Three Accords and one Protocol of Cooperation between Angola and South Africa were signed in Cape Town in the framework of the 4-day official visit by Prime Minister, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos. The first is related to protection and social reintegration with a view to share political experiences and development of programs on areas linked to child, integration of physically disabled people, assistance and protection of the elderly and post-conflict social reinsertion. The second deals with Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments between the two countries, taking into account that the foment of such investments will serve as incentive to individual economic activity, as a way of contributing for prosperity of the respective peoples. The third part is concerned with the electricity sector, and will allow the development of projects in the fields of production, transmission and distribution of electricity and its regulation.

Moreover, the two parts also stressed that the huge natural resources existing in Angola, such as oil, gas, diamonds and other minerals make this country a power of quick development, also taking into account the fertility of the soils, the good weather and the enormous hydro resources. In this regard, representatives of South African companies such as Eskom, the Agency of Economic Development of Gauteng, Protea Hotels and from ABSA business group recently visited Angola, in a exploratory mission for future investments.

In a global evaluation of the mission of the Angolan Prime Minister, the communiqué refers that the two delegations reaffirmed the intention to work in favour of strengthening these bilateral relations and the reinforcement of cooperation existing between the two countries for a prosperous future of the two peoples. In the field of external policy, the two countries analysed the situation at regional, continental and international levels, having agreed on the need to work together, and bilaterally, under the SADC, in the search for solutions for the regions affected by conflicts, particularly in Africa, such as Cote D'Ivoire, the Darfur region (Sudan), DRC and the Great Lakes region in general. With regard to Togo, they expressed concern over the recent occurrences and reiterated the African Union position (AU) to reject all unconstitutional ways of change of Government. (Angola Press Agency, Luanda)