Africa-Press – Angola. Norway has known how to draw a lot of wealth from the sea, which strongly contributes to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Angola would like to reap these experiences to make the Angolan seas an important source of wealth as well.
This intention is included in the commitments undertaken between Angola and Norway, as announced yesterday in the city of Oslo by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, at the press conference held at the end of the working lunch meeting, which took place at Casa de Guests of the Norwegian Government, with the Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre.
For this use of the sea’s riches to be effective, Angola recognizes that a lot of research is needed in the seas so that it is known, in fact, what the potential, the species, in terms of quantities, domain in which it has the experience accumulated over the years. for many years in Norway.
“Angola has invested in a scientific research vessel and intends to make the most of the vessel’s capabilities and, therefore, also in this field they have Norwegian cooperation”, he said.
Reasons for choosing
President João Lourenço said that friendship and cooperation relations were developed with Norway decades ago, as many as the years of Angola’s independence.
As the Head of State said, there is cooperation in various domains, but there is every need to diversify and deepen these relations.
According to João Lourenço, hence the fact that in this second term he chose Norway as the first country to carry out the first official visit.
In the meeting with the Prime Minister, we reviewed not only issues of bilateral interest, but also others that have to do with international politics.
A commitment made between the two Heads of Government has to do with the continuity of cooperation in the energy sector, above all the need to carry out the energy transition correctly, not only in the interest of preserving the environment, but also in the interest of continuing to benefit from exploration, especially gas, which our countries produce.
The Angolan Head of State assured that the environment issue is something that is also of concern to Angola. The country should value learning from Norway about carbon capture and storage in the oil industry, which will reinforce the gains in terms of environmental preservation in this cooperation with Norway.
Angola invited the Norwegian business community to invest in virtually all sectors of the national economy. It is the country’s intention, as the President of the Republic said, to rely on investors from that country in Angolan agribusiness to make Angola an exporter of food, at a time when the world food crisis is a fact.
It is also intended to make Angola an important tourist destination, and for this purpose, Norwegian businessmen were invited to invest in the hotel network, so that Norwegian tourists and tourists from all over the world can be attracted.
“We are very hopeful in this cooperation with Norway, which has been very fruitful, with very good results, but we always want more and better, hence the fact that this two-day visit has been carried out”, he said.
Russia-Ukraine war must cease
At the working meeting between João Lourenço and Jonas Gahr Støre, yesterday, in Oslo, on the last of two days of official visit by the Angolan Head of State, the international situation, with emphasis on the war between Russia and Ukraine, was also the subject of conversation.
The Angolan President stressed the country’s position, considering the continuation of conflicts to be bad for everyone.
“We made Angola’s position very clear in the face of this conflict, which is bad for everyone. Bad for Europe and for the world in general, since, as a result of this war, we have an energy crisis, a food crisis and the humanitarian crisis, which Europe is experiencing today, being the biggest one since the end of the Second World War. Our common position is that this war must end immediately, a ceasefire must be signed as soon as possible and negotiations must begin of peace, may it be a lasting peace”, he defended.
Regarding the conflict on the Eastern Border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the role of Angola in the incessant search for conditions to stop any outbreaks of conflicts, promoting a good neighborhood between the DRC and Rwanda was also discussed.
Highlighting the openness and transparency in the exercise of governance
Angola is an important economic partner of Norway in Africa and the relations between the countries are historical, declared yesterday, in Oslo, Norway, the Prime Minister.
Jonas Gahr Støre said he had an important and very productive business meeting with President João Lourenço, which is why he is grateful for Norway being the first destination for strengthening cooperation after his re-election.
The Norwegian Head of Government congratulated the Angolan Head of State on the reforms that have been implemented, making Angola a more open, more transparent country, which will certainly make relations more developed and there may be reinforced and broader cooperation, both economic as in other sectors.
Jonas Gahr Støre said that the Energy sector will be the starting point of cooperation and the management of the oceans and the coast is also another key element.
“With these two areas, we have many good points to explore and bring about cooperation in many other areas. We also welcome cooperation with regard to low-carbon emission towards zero emissions”, he said.
According to the Norwegian Prime Minister, the goal of cooperation between the countries is to comply with the Paris agreement on climate change and save the planet.
Angola and Norway maintain regular bilateral consultations and have renewed existing programs since 2011.
International scene
The heads of the Governments of Angola and Norway, at their meeting yesterday at the Government Guest House, also reviewed the international scenario, especially the question of the war in Ukraine and the attitude of Russia, whose consequences go far beyond the territories directly affected because of the issue of food and energy security.
In this sense, according to Jonas Gahr Støre, President João Lourenço shared with him very important reflections on the Great Lakes Region.
The consequences of climate change, recently discussed in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, also merited the approach of the two leaders.
As reiterated, Jonas Gahr Støre, Africa is also an element for the solution of a development without harming the environment.
The meeting, at the end of yesterday afternoon, in Oslo, between João Lourenço and Jonas Gahr Støre, also marked the end of the first two-day official visit that the Angolan Head of State carried out Thursday and Friday to the Norwegian capital.
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