Africa-Press – Angola. The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, left Luanda, this Thursday, bound for the city of Gaborone, Republic of Botswana, for a two-day state visit to that country of the Community for the Development of Southern Africa (SADC).
At the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport, the Head of State received farewell greetings from the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, and members of the Executive.
In Botswana, President João Lourenço’s agenda includes a meeting with his counterpart Mokgweetsi Masisi, who he will welcome at the airport for the welcome greetings.
For Friday, the two Heads of State will have a moment of conversation in the capital of that country, Gaborone, in the scope of bilateral relations and cooperation.
On the same day, President João Lourenço will be honored with a State dinner, an event that will mark the end of the visit.
The Angolan Head of State is expected to return to Luanda on Saturday.
bilateral cooperation
Angola and Botswana established diplomatic relations on February 18, 1976.
In February 2006, the two countries signed a General Cooperation Agreement.
Areas of cooperation
In cooperation between Angola and Botswana, the diamond sector is a priority, along with education, health and the environment.
Botswana is a major producer of diamonds worldwide and Angola seeks the experience of that SADC member country, in extraction and cutting.
Currently, Botswana’s diamond production accounts for around 60 percent of its exports.
On average, between 2002 and 2016, 26 million carats were produced per year, making Botswana the second largest producer of diamonds in the world, behind Russia.
Another important source of income for Botswana is ecotourism. This country has the largest concentration of elephants in the world (more than 50,000).
The country occupies 581,000 square kilometers, 17 percent of which is reserved for national parks. It also has immense virgin savannas.
Located in Southern Africa, the territory of Botswana has no access to the sea and is limited to the North with Zambia, to the East with Zimbabwe, to the South with South Africa, to the West and Northwest with Namibia.
regional integration
Angola and Botswana are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The two countries are also part of the Okavango/Zambezi project, which also includes Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia, covering a total of 278,000 square kilometres.
The Okavango Basin is a region rich in biodiversity, with more than 400 species of birds, mammals and other animals typical of the African fauna.
Angola has the second largest plot of the project, with 87,000 square kilometers, behind Zambia, with 97,000 square kilometers of land.
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