Africa-Press – Angola. The Portuguese Foreign Minister, João Gomes Cravinho, said Thursday in Lisbon that the African Union (AU) is a “vital partner in global affairs”, hence the need for “frequent dialogue” and at all levels between that organization and the European Union.
João Gomes Cravinho made the statement during the ceremony celebrating Africa Day and the 60th anniversary of the African Union, organized by the ambassadors of the African Group of Embassies accredited in Lisbon, held at the Ismaili Centre.
There, a minute of silence was observed for the two victims of the attack carried out there on March 28.
According to the Portuguese official, the AU is now vital in global affairs, it symbolizes the advancement of multilateralism, the benefits of regional and continental integration and the long-standing quest for peace, intrinsically linked to the existence of multilateral mechanisms for the settlement of disputes peacefully and through dialogue.
During the meeting, which was attended by several ambassadors, including the new head of the Angolan Diplomatic Mission in Portugal, Maria de Jesus Ferreira, João Gomes Cravinho also defended a broad, comprehensive and mutually advantageous approach in the relationship, bilateral or multilateral, with the its African partners, based on trust and reciprocity.
Portugal also defends the construction of a new paradigm not only in Portugal-Africa relations, but also in Europe-Africa relations.
João Gomes Cravinho stressed the importance of the Mobility Agreement of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), which, according to the head of Portuguese diplomacy, “is a positive example to follow”.
Portugal is committed to working with Africa to achieve the goals they set for themselves.
For his part, the coordinator of the African Ambassadors Group, diplomat
Tito Mba Ada, considers that women on the continent are the main pillar of development, as 30 percent of them are entrepreneurs and their contribution to the economy is vital.
He also stressed that the focus on agriculture on the continent, including the use of arable land, will serve to boost the economy.
He also informed that most of the African population is under 25 years old and that by 2050 it will have a good workforce for its development.
Therefore, he appealed to Africans to be increasingly united, in order to contribute to the development of the continent.
Guests from civil society, among others, also participated in the initiative.
The program also included a visit to the cultural and African art exhibition installed in that centre.
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