Luanda — The vice chairman of the Executive Council of the Angolan Strategic Studies Centre (CEEA), brigadier Manuel Correia de Barros, has highlighted in Beijing, China, the "great strategic role" of Angola in maintaining peace and security in Africa.

This assessment was recently presented in a lecture by the brigadier, at a conference held in Beijing, dedicated to the celebration of thirty years since the establishment of the Sino-Angolan relations.

The lecturer spoke to an audience made up of Chinese elite officials, diplomatic body, as well as Angolan and Chinese university students.

He called the attention of the audience to the fact this strategic role of Angola has to be played in harmony with the country's partners, at different levels.

"You can notice that Angola's principles, ideals and experiences in co-operation coincide with those adopted by the organisation of which it is a member", stressed the brigadier.

He also denied any thesis defending Angola, by itself, as the main "strategic trump" in the African scene, because his country only has 1.7 per cent of the total population of Africa.

In his opinion, the organisational structure of Africa, in terms of co-operation in security matters, enables the co-ordination of projects with the African Stand-by Force and the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS).

He explained that this arrangement "ensures that the regions fell a direct responsibility in the establishment and consolidation of the continent's security system".

He mentioned one of the speeches to the nation of the Angolan Head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos à Nação, in which he said "Angola maintains the vocation of being a factor of peace, stability and development, not only in the sub-regions in which it is a member of, such as SADC, ECCAS and Guinea Gulf, but also in helping countries with which we have deep historical and friendship ties".