Luanda — Angola's Parliament speaker, Roberto de Almeida, Monday in Luanda defended the boosting of cooperation with Mali, meant for a deeper knowledge of respective democratic processes, Angop learned.

Roberto de Almeida said so while delivering a welcoming speech to his colleague of Mali, Ibrahim Boubakar Keita, who is visiting Angola since Sunday.

He underlined that the cooperation requires the strengthening of fraternal and solidarity relations between the two peoples.

He recalled that bilateral co-operation between the two countries dates back to the times of armed struggle for independence, at a time Angolan national liberation movement and of other colonies under the Portuguese rule sought aid from brother countries of independent Africa and of other parts of the world.

"Mali always occupied the place of vanguard in the fight against colonialism, even before the foundation of OAU, when the so-called " Casablanca Group" made the voice of oppressed Africa heard at international areopagus where the problem of independence of Angola was a priority on the agenda of those organisations," he stressed.

The Malian parliament speaker who will stay in the country until Saturday, laid a wreath of flowers at the Independence Square, in homage to the first president of Angola, Agostinho Neto, ahead of attending the National Assembly's extraordinary session.

While in Angola, Ibrahim Boubakar Keita is to meet with the leaders of parliamentary groups and hold separate sessions with the ministers of Foreign Affaires, João Bernardo de Miranda, and Planning, Ana Dias Lourenço.

He will on Tuesday meet with the ministers of Territory Administration, Virgílio de Fontes Pereira, and Social Welfare, João Baptista Kussumua, ahead of visits to the Monument to the "4 de Fevereiro" Heroes and to the Kifangondo Historic Site.

Boubakar Keita will travel on Wednesday and Friday to the provinces of Bie and Cabinda, respectively.

On Thursday the visiting parliamentarian will visit the National Electoral Commission (CNE) and meet with the Malian community resident in Angola. A visit to the diamond lapidary plant is included on the agenda.