President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ended his state visit to Angola Sunday (27), having traveled to São Tomé and Príncipe where he is participating in the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the CPLP.
At the “4 de Fevereiro” International Airport, the Brazilian Head of State received farewell greetings from the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Esmeralda Mendonça, as well as by other members of the Executive and the staff of the Brazilian Embassy.
During his visit to Angola, Lula da Silva fulfilled an agenda which features laying a wreath at the sarcophagus of the first President of the Republic of Angola, António Agostinho Neto on Friday.
He also visited the Dr. António Agostinho Neto Memorial, where he signed the institution’s Book of Honor.
Also on Friday at the Presidential Palace, Lula da Silva met with his counterpart João Lourenço.
He was awarded with the Agostinho Neto Order and witnessed the signing of agreements between the two countries.
In the afternoon, the Brazilian Head of State addressed the National Assembly, during a special solemn session held in his honour.
In the early evening, Lula da Silva and João Lourenço participated in the closing session of the Angola-Brazil Economic Forum.
Saturday agenda features the inauguration of Espaço Ovídio de Melo, meeting with the Brazilian community residing in Angola and a farewell ceremony to his Angolan counterpart.
Angola and Brazil formalised the beginning of bilateral cooperation in 1977, with the signing of the first Memorandum, two years after the Angola independence.
Brazil was the world’s first country to recognise Angola’s independence, proclaimed by President António Agostinho Neto, on 11 November 1975.
The two countries have also worked to strengthen and deepen their relationship within the CPLP, with emphasis on issues of mobility agreements, investment facilitation and elimination of double taxation.
Commercial exchanges
In terms of trade, in 2022, Angola exported USD 574 million to Brazil (essentially oil) and imported USD 715 million from that country (with food leading the ranking).
Last year, the trade balance was negative for Angola standing by USD 142 million.
Angola’s debt to Brazil, which in 2018 was around USD 820 million, was fully paid in 2019
Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)