Luanda — The Ambassador of the Republic of Angola to the Swiss Confederation, Filomena Delgado, defended this Tuesday, in Bern, a greater intensification of inter-parliamentary cooperation with Switzerland.
According to a note from the Angolan diplomatic representation in this country to which ANGOP had access, when speaking at a hearing granted by the President of the Swiss Parliament, Martin Candinas, the Angolan diplomat said that there was "very incipient cooperation between the two parliaments, hence the need for their reinforcement".
"Angola is experiencing a new era, in which the fight against corruption and the diversification of the national economy are priorities of the Government of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço", in an act framed in the general plan of activities of the Diplomatic Mission in Switzerland.
The two interlocutors also addressed issues of cooperation between the two Parliaments in several areas, such as the importance of youth, the women's role and gender equality in the work of Parliaments.
Likewise, they also discussed the possibility of moving deputies from one country to another to exchange experiences and the prospect of creating the Angola/Switzerland Parliamentary Friendship Group.
During the hearing, the two delegations welcomed the holding of the 147th IPU Assembly, taking place in Luanda, with President Martin Candinas once again guaranteeing the participation of a high-level delegation from the institution he heads, in response to the invitation that the Angolan National Assembly Speaker, Carolina Cerqueira, addressed to her Swiss counterpart.
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On the other hand, the Swiss delegation welcomed the fact that the organization's next meeting will be in Angola, and will be led by a woman.
The ambassador provided accurate and updated data on the country's political, economic and social panorama. She said that Angola needs investment in almost all areas, highlighting agriculture, food security, health and the local medicine production industry.
In this sense, she invited the President of the Swiss Parliament to encourage Swiss businesspeople to invest in Angola.
In response, the parliamentary leader highlighted the importance of economic cooperation in bilateral ties between the two nations, especially in the agricultural and energy sectors, which she considered crucial for business investors in his country.
In the Swiss system, the Parliament (or Federal Assembly) is Switzerland's bicameral legislative branch. The assembly is made up of two Chambers, the Council of States, a Chamber with 46 deputies, and the National Council, a Chamber with 200 parliamentarians. The National Council and the Council of States together represent the legislative power in Switzerland.
The two Councils generally act separately, although they may meet for decisions that require agreement between the two chambers, such as: election of the Swiss Federal Council (Government), the President of the Confederation, the Judges of the Supreme Court or the General of the Army, in case of war. The Presidents of Parliament have a one-year term of office.
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