Africa-Press – Angola. The historical, cultural, political and diplomatic relations between Angola and Italy constitute a solid base for both countries, having been reinforced with the State visit of the Angolan President to the European country.
“We are here to seal the ties of friendship and cooperation with Italy”, said the Angolan Head of State after the meeting with the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, on Wednesday, the first day of the visit.
On the occasion, João Lourenço expressed Angola’s willingness to receive Italian businessmen who intend to invest in the national market.
As part of the visit, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday, the two States signed several cooperation agreements, with emphasis on oil, transport, finance and health.
Underlines the agreement signed between the Italian company Eni and the Angolan company Sonangol, formalized in the presence of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, and the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
The memorandum of understanding aims to expand the areas of cooperation between the two companies, through studies in the area of agribusiness, value chain and other decarbonization sectors.
In the Italian Parliament, João Lourenço met with the leader of the Senate, Ignacio La Russa, and with the president of that sovereign body, Lorenzo Fontana.
Also on Wednesday, President João Lourenço honored the Unknown Soldier in Rome with the laying of a wreath at the monument known as “Altar of the Fatherland”.
On Wednesday night, the holder of the Executive Power was awarded, by President Sergio Mattarella, with the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
On the same occasion, the Angolan statesman awarded the Agostinho Neto Order to his counterpart Sergio Mattarella, as well as to the First Lady, Laura Mattarella.
On Thursday, the last day of the visit, the Angolan Head of State participated in the Italy-Angola Economic Forum, organized by the business association Confindustria Assafrica in collaboration with the Private Investment and Export Promotion Agency (AIPEX).
At the meeting, the President of the Republic encouraged Italian businessmen to invest in different branches of the Angolan economy and their participation in public investment projects.
Also on Thursday, the Angolan Head of State visited the City Council of Rome and the Technological Center of ENI.
It is an advanced science and knowledge center that has more than a thousand researchers, some of them Angolan.
More dynamic and diversified cooperation
Angola is Italy’s third-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, after South Africa and Nigeria.
The Italian Government considers Angola a priority country for its cooperation strategy in sub-Saharan Africa since 1989.
The two countries formalized diplomatic and cooperation relations on June 4, 1976 and on August 3, 1977 they signed the Technical Cooperation Agreement, as well as the Memorandum of Intent through which the Joint Commission was created.
Angola and Italy signed the first legal instrument, called the Air Transport Agreement, on 10 April 1976.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
