11 January 2009
Luanda — Angola is considered a privileged interlocutor in matters relating to the African continent, by the Italian presidency of the most developed nations group (G8), as revealed by the Italy's ambassador to Angola, Torquarto Cardilli.
The diplomat, who gave an exclusive interview to ANGOP, said that the fact that Angola is fastest growing country in sub-Saharan Africa and the greatest oil producer of the region, gives this country a particular role, not just within the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), but actually in the whole continent.
This fact, he said, has even a greater importance considering that one of the main topics of the G8 is the African continent.
In this context, the Italian Foreign minister, Franco Frattini, in his capacity as the chairman of his G8 counterparts group, will carry out a visit to Angola, which is scheduled for February.
According to Torquarto Cardilli, in the bilateral relation, in the last 34 years Italy hás always demonstrated its friendship, trust and generosity to Angola, even during the most violent periods of the war, when many other states had already abandoned Angolans.
This fact causes the two countries to have a good co-operation relationship, both in the political and economic domains.
Among other aspects that result from the existing bilateral co-operation, the diplomat pointed out the four projects in the demining area, being executed by an Italian NGO, just in the year 2008, estimated at 1.2 million euros.
Torquarto Cardilli said it is important that during the Italian minister's visit the two countries examine the possibilities of concrete materialisation of other existing bilateral agreements in the economic, cultural and military fields.
The G8 member countries are Germany, France, United States of America, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia.
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