Addis Ababa — Angola and Tanzania signed Thursday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, two legal instruments that mark the re-launch of bilateral cooperation between the two States.
They are the Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a Bilateral Commission between the two countries and another on Cooperation between the Diplomatic Academy "Venâncio de Moura" and the Tanzanian Center for Foreign Affairs.
The Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Tanzania, Stergomena Lawrence Tax, signed the legal instruments.
The first agreement establishes a mechanism for bilateral consultations at the diplomatic level to ensure promotion and expansion of economic, social, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation and set up a Bilateral Commission between the two countries.
The second aims at maintaining an active exchange of information about their respective study programmes, courses, seminars and other relevant academic activities, particularly those referring to innovative practices that meet current demands for capacity building.
The two legal instruments were signed on the sidelines of the 42nd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union, which has been taking place since Wednesday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
Minister Téte António said the signing of these legal instruments represents the filling of a gap that existed, until now, between the two countries.
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While Tanzania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stergomena Lawrence Tax, highlighted the ceremony, stating that the agreements are very beneficial for both countries, as they will strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Ministry of Health, PEPFAR strengthen technical partnership
Angola's Ministry of Health and American Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) strengthened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the technical assistance programme for HIV/AIDS in the country.
Speaking to the Angolan press, in Addis Ababa, the Angolan minister of Health, Sílvia Lutukuta, said the support for technical assistance for combat HIV/AIDS, which PEPFAR provides to Angola, could increase from USD13 to USD 23 million.
She said that the Ministry she heads will prepare a massive plan for community support, surveillance, treatment and follow-up of patients with HIV/AIDS in the country.
She noted that the HIV/AIDS issue in Africa has become a major challenge, recalling that worldwide, last year alone, 600,000 people died from the disease and 400, 000 of these people in Africa.
The Emergency AIDS Relief Plan (PEPFAR) was created 19 years ago by then US President George W. Bush.
PEPFAR has partnered with countries and communities to bring hope and healing to millions of people around the world.
Over the last two decades, the US has invested $100 billion to transform the global AIDS response through support for PEPFAR and as the largest donor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
PEPFAR has saved more than 21 million lives, prevented millions of HIV infections, and supported at least 20 countries to achieve epidemic HIV control or meet their HIV treatment goals. DC/AL/ADR
