Africa-Press – Angola. The Angolan President expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with Egypt in the defense and security sector and considered that countries that have not been affected by terrorism must be prepared to face it.
João Lourenço, who spoke today in Cairo, Egypt, where he began an official visit, said that Angola wants to strengthen cooperation with the Egyptian nation in several areas, namely health, telecommunications, defense and security.
“The defense and security sector [in this cooperation] is not far behind. Egypt has great capabilities in terms of the defense industry and Angola is interested in benefiting from this capacity that Egypt has, not only to recover obsolete technology, modernize it and, eventually, sell new military equipment to the Army, to the Air Force,” he said.
He stated that the Angolan authorities are open to discussing and negotiating so that the Portuguese-speaking country can take steps forward in the security sector, praising the experience and success that Egypt has achieved in recent years in preventing and combating terrorism.
The Angolan head of state considered that Egypt managed to “overcome and overcome with great skill” the period of instability it experienced, expressing interest in working with this country to learn and gather its experience on this issue [terrorism] that “potentially affects all countries in the world”.
“Those countries that have not been hit by terrorism, in principle, should not sit idly by, they should be prepared to face it, should it arise,” he noted.
Lourenço, who was speaking after attending the signing of two memorandums on telecommunications and public works with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi, said that his visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt reflects the mutual interest in raising the level of bilateral relations to the “highest possible”.
“Our two countries are important, each in the region in which they are located. The potential for cooperation is great and we will do everything we can to try to make the most of this potential,” he stressed.
He expressed interest in seeing increased cooperation in all areas, in seeing direct Egyptian private investment in Angola, as well as Angolan private investment in the Arab Republic of Egypt.
“We would like to see Egyptian companies participating in infrastructure construction projects in Angola, various infrastructures, roads, highways, ports, railways, electricity grid – especially energy transmission networks – not only within our territory, but also to connect and sell energy to Angola’s neighbouring countries, namely Zambia and Namibia”, he added.
Cooperation in the health sector, reflected in the establishment of the Egyptian pharmaceutical industry in Angola for the production of medicines and vaccines, is in the interests of both countries, as stated by João Loureço, who also highlighted Egypt’s strong potential in the field of telecommunications.
The Angolan President also said that both delegations agreed on the need to hold, as soon as possible, a bilateral joint commission as if to begin, “finally”, to implement the signed agreements.
Angola and Egypt have established diplomatic relations since February 1976. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi visited Angola in June 2023.
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