Africa-Press – Angola. The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, this Friday decorated his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with the “Ordem António Agostinho Neto”, the highest distinction of the Angolan State.
The Agostinho Neto Order consists of a single degree and is awarded to nationals and foreigners, in particular heads of state and government and political leaders.
At the same ceremony, the Brazilian President awarded his counterpart João Lourenço with the Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul, a title that honors notable personalities born outside the country.
On the occasion, the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, considered the distinction special and thanked the gesture on behalf of the people and the Angolan Government.
“I receive this distinction with humility and (…) with great joy” said President João Lourenço, who dedicated the decoration to the Angolan people for their dedication and consented sacrifices in the fight for the freedom of peoples.
We consented to immense sacrifices, continued the Angolan statesman, for the affirmation of South Africa and Namibia in the concert of nations as free peoples and masters of their respective destinies.
For his part, Lula da Silva said it was “very honorable” in 50 years of politics and at the age of 77 to receive a decoration with the name of António Agostinho Neto, “the most important order in Angola that bears the name of the symbol of this country” .
For the Brazilian statesman, Agostinho Neto died before his time, taking into account his desire to “build the Angola he dreamed of, throughout the struggle for independence.
Lula da Silva promised to carry the medal “with the commitment that whoever has a cause cannot stop fighting”, adding that the award increases his responsibility in the world campaign he is trying to undertake against inequality.
Angola has already awarded the Order of Agostinho Neto, Nelson Mandela, in 1990, Kenneth Kaunda, Omar Bongo, Aristides Pereira, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Robert Mu-gabe, Quett Masire, Joaquim Chissano, Manuel Pinto da Costa and Fidel Castro, all in 1992.
The President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (2019), King Felipe VI and Queen Consort Letizia Ortiz, of Spain (2023), have also deserved the Agostinho Neto Order.
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