Africa-Press – Angola. The recent visit of the Angolan President, João Lourenço, to Italy improved the partnership between the two countries in the traditional sectors, said the Italian ambassador to Angola, Cristiano Gallo.
In a speech during his country’s 77th anniversary ceremony, celebrated on 2 June, the diplomat declared that the visit of the Angolan Head of State, which took place last May, allowed for the identification of new areas of cooperation and opened up new horizons for development.
“This year, the second of June could not be happier for us”, he added, referring to the presence of João Lourenço, in Rome, at the invitation of his Italian counterpart, Sérgio Mattarella.
For the diplomat, it was an extraordinary event held in the incomparable setting of the Eternal City (Rome), which “witnessed the gestures and honors with which his country confirmed the power and depth of its historic friendship with Angola”.
He recalled that such ties date back more than four centuries, when Prince António Manuel Nvunda arrived in Rome, as ambassador of the King of Congo to the court of Pope Paul V.
He stated that, since that time, the rapprochement between the two peoples has never failed, building over the years a relationship of increasingly closer dialogue thanks also to the contribution of business, social, cultural and religious realities.
He added that the governments of both countries firmly believe that economic and social development can only be achieved in an environment of peace and security in which the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States are respected.
In this regard, he exemplified that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the conflicts currently afflicting the African continent constitute obstacles to the healthy development of nations.
In the ambassador’s opinion, Italy and Angola face common challenges and look to the future with optimism, driven, as always, by the driving force of both peoples.
During the ceremony, attended by Angolan and foreign diplomats and protocol personalities, the president of the Angola-Italy Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mário Cabrini, was decorated.
The National Festival of Italy, celebrated on the 2nd of this month, is the result of a referendum held between the 2nd and 3rd of June 1946, when the Italian people chose the Republic as the form of State and defeated the Monarchy, which dominated Italy during 85 years.
Italy was the first country in the West to recognize Angola’s independence achieved on November 11, 1975.
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.
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