Africa-Press – Angola. Angola’s ambassador to Egypt, Nelson Cosme, considered this Saturday, in Cairo, the operationalization of the Lobito Corridor as an extremely important factor for regional integration between Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), through transport railway.
According to a press release, the diplomat made these considerations in a message addressed to the diplomatic corps and the Angolan community residing in Egypt, as part of the 23rd of March, Southern Africa Liberation Day, which is highlights this Saturday.
On the occasion, he recalled that the Tripartite Agreement signed between the three States jointly develops harmonized regulations and corridor systems to promote the development of infrastructure.
Among the advantages of the Lobito Corridor, to be implemented by the three countries in the Southern African region, the ambassador highlighted the transport of metals to manufacture electric vehicles and wind turbines from mines in the interior of the three countries to the port, reducing transport time from weeks to days.
Another bet, he pointed out, is aimed at diversifying sources of financing and implementing projects in countries in the region.
He highlighted that the Republic of Angola will seek to guarantee the implementation of the main SADC objectives, which consist of achieving economic development, peace and security, growth, reducing poverty, raising the standard and quality of life of the populations of Southern Africa.
Within the scope of the African Union Agenda 2063, the Angolan ambassador said that one of the bloc’s new proposals is to develop a customs union with the reduction or elimination of customs tariffs.
With this, he continued, it is proposed to guarantee the economic development of the countries involved, with the expansion and promotion of the internal market, as well as boosting the implementation of the Free Trade Zone.
As for the 23rd of March, Nelson Cosme recalled that the fundamental point of this date was the well-known Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, which took place between the 15th of November 1987 and the 23rd of March 1988, in the province of Cuando-Cubango, where the Angolan armies (former FAPLA), against the South African army, considered the longest battle that took place on the African continent since the Second World War.
During Angola’s rotating SADC Presidency, assumed in October 2023, for the period 2023-2024, the ambassador said that the main aim is to create a peaceful, inclusive, competitive and industrialized region, through the implementation of defined objectives, such as the achieving the valorization of human capital, financial issues, peace and stability in the region.
He also highlighted that Angola continues to defend a more united front and a common voice to safeguard the Organization’s position on fundamental international issues, such as peace, security, strengthening democracy, sustainable development and climate change.
In addition to Angola, SADC is made up of Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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