Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Friday that his country wanted to support Angola’s efforts to diversify its economy and sees room for growth in bilateral trade, Reuters reports.
Lula characterised Brazil as an “ideal partner” for Angola in multiple sectors. Angolan President João Lourenço meanwhile offered his country as a gateway for Brazil to central and southern Africa, and expressed hope that Brazil would be Luanda’s gateway to the Mercosur region, comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The trip to Luanda came after Lula attended the BRICS summit in South Africa, where he said he would support Angola joining the group of emerging economies. Lula also extended an invitation to Lourenço to attend the G20 meeting next year, when Brazil takes temporary presidency of the group.
During Lula’s visit to Luanda, representatives of the two nations signed seven memorandums of understanding in areas including tourism, health and agriculture to “strengthen and relaunch” their long history of bilateral cooperation.
[See more: Brazilian president set for much overdue trip to Africa]
“We want to see Brazilian investment in Angola,” Lourenço said, “but we also want to see Angolan investment in Brazil.”
Brazil and Angola boast nearly 50 years of bilateral relations, with Brazil holding the distinction of being the first country to recognise Angola’s independence in 1975. A strategic partnership signed in 2010 reaffirmed these long-held ties.
Yet under the administration of Jair Bolsonaro, Lua’s predecessor, relations with African countries were treated with “indifference”, Lula said. He added that his administration “will correct those mistakes.”
Besides South Africa and Angola, the Brazilian leader also visited São Tomé and Príncipe for the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) summit on Sunday.
