João Lourenço and William Ruto discuss bilateral cooperation

Nairobi – Angola’s President João Lourenço and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto on Saturday will address issues of bilateral interest, with emphasis on strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.

The talks are taking place as part of the visit of the Angolan Head of State, since Thursday, to Kenya, at the invitation of William Ruto.

At the table will be the discussion, for signature, of 13 legal instruments submitted by the Bilateral Joint Commission, to strengthen cooperation in the fields of health, agriculture, environment, mineral resources, oil and gas, tourism, telecommunications, information and communication technologies, transport and maritime cooperation, trade and industry, youth, among others.

There is also a Memorandum of Understanding between the Venâncio de Moura Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Angola and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya.

Cooperation between the two countries will also be supported by the Memorandum of Understanding between the National School of Administration and Public Policy (ENAPP) and the Kenya Government School in the Field of Capacity Development in the Public Service.

Before leaving Nairobi, on Saturday, João Lourenço will go to the Mausoleum of Jomo Kenyatta, the first President of Kenya, to pay tribute to the late statesman.

The friendly relationship between Angola and Kenya dates back to the years of the struggle for independence, when the then President of the Republic of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, brought together at the same table, in 1975, the leaders of Angola’s liberation movements, to align a common vision about their liberation.

But cooperation, in the broadest sense of the word, gained momentum in 2010, when Kenya Airways began flying to Luanda, under an agreement in the air transport sector signed in 2011.

Meanwhile, in 2014, Angola and Kenya signed four agreements that reinforced bilateral cooperation, namely the General Agreement on Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation; the Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Angola and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya; the Agreement on the Creation of the Bilateral Commission; the Agreement for the Operation of Air Services between and beyond the respective territories, in the field of transport

Source: Angola Press News Agency