Maputo — The ministries of Urbanisation and Environment of Angola and of Co-ordination of Environmental Action of Mozambique this weekend signed a memorandum of understanding for environmental protection and urban arrangement.

The minister of Urbanisation and Environment, Diekumpuna Sita José signed for the Angolan side, whilst the minister for Co-ordination of the Environmental Action, Alcinda de Abreu signed for Mozambique.

With a three-year renewable deadline, the memo defines as co-operation programmes, the assessment and control of the quality of air, biodiversity, climatic changes, coastal erosion and territory arrangement and urban development.

On one hand, the signing ceremony is part of the principle of continuous concert and cooperation between both States and on the other hand in the policy of implementing the cooperation platform of the Portuguese Speaking Countries Community (CPLP) signed in 2006 in the last Environment Ministers Meeting held in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia.

To Sita José, Angola continues being engaged in the promotion of accords with regional institutions to harmonise policies to meet common issues, with the fight against poverty, profiting from drinkable water, urban environment sanitation, fight against drought and desertification, climate changes and soil degradation.

The minister also said that the strategic vision of the Angolan State since achieving peace six years ago, defines the preparation of the national plan and strategy of sustainable development for territory arrangement, as well as the creation of a structure of co-ordinating the management of environmental agreements.

During his mission to Mozambique, Sita José, who led a delegation comprising senior officials of his sector, met with the local First Lady, Luisa Diogo, the minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Oldemiro Baloi, as well as with other officials of the Mozambican government.

In that country of the Indian Ocean, Sita José also visited some social and economic undertakings, as well as "Mozal" one of SADC's biggest aluminium factories, Matola housing project designed for low income families, among others.