Dakar — Angolan President João Lourenço announced Sunday in Dakar (Senegal) the establishment, "in the coming days", of direct air connections between Luanda and the Senegalese capital.
Angolan head of state was speaking on the first day of his stay in Senegal, after a meeting with his Senegalese counterpart, Macky Sall, who awarded him the National Order of the Lion, the highest Senegalese distinction at this level.
João Lourenço explained that the two countries are working to connect the two capitals directly, as they understand that such a measure will contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations of cooperation and friendship between the two States.
As for the meeting he had with Macky Sall and extended to the delegations of the two countries, the Angolan head of state said that, among others, it allowed him to learn about the organisation of the eighth Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, which starts Monday (24), in the Senegalese capital.
He added that they also addressed aspects related to cooperation relations between the two countries, which recently saw a turning point with the appointment of the first resident Angolan ambassador, in Dakar, since Angola's independence in 1975.
In this regard, he expressed hope that the Senegalese side would also appoint, in the near future, its first ambassador residing in Luanda.
On the other hand, he continued, the two countries agreed to cooperate in the exploration of oil in Senegal, so that Angola can provide its assistance in this field and share its experience of long years of oil production.
President João Lourenço clarified, however, that his visit to Senegal is still "not in return" for the state visit made by Macky Sall to Angola this year, but "only" in response to an invitation by the latter to participate in the Forum. International Dakar as a special guest.
New era in diplomatic relations
In early 2022, the Angolan statesman decided to normalise diplomatic relations between the two countries, with the appointment of the first Angolan ambassador with permanent residence, in Dakar.
The new ambassador, appointed on January 5, 2022, in the person of diplomat Adão Pinto, received express instructions from the Angolan head of state to do everything in order to "compensate for the lost opportunity", in an allusion to 46 years of stagnation in diplomatic relations between the two countries.
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João Lourenço highlighted, at the time, the influence of Senegal in West Africa, as well as the importance of this country for its culture and history.
He is of the view that the two countries are "46 years behind" in bilateral cooperation, so "they should no longer walk, but "run to make up for lost time".
In addition to the appointment of João Pinto, President João Lourenço invited his Senegalese counterpart to make a state visit to Angola, which took place from 24 to 26 May this year.
The visit was preceded by the signing, among other legal instruments, of the visa exemption agreement for service and diplomatic passports, as a way of strengthening bilateral cooperation ties.
Since Angola gained independence (in 1975), the interests of both countries have always been represented either by non-resident ambassadors or by honorary consular agents.
