Luanda — The Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, will carry out, starting this Tuesday, an official three-day visit to Angola, as part of strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The signing of bilateral agreements, an Angola-Portugal business forum within the scope of the Luanda International Fair (FILDA) and a trip to Benguela to see, on site, the Lobito Corridor project are some of the highlights of the provisional visit program.
The program begins with the ceremony of laying a wreath at the Agostinho Neto Memorial, the first President of the Republic of Angola.
A meeting is also scheduled with the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, first just with Luís Montenegro, and then between the extended delegations, which will end with interventions by the two heads of Government and a press conference.
On this occasion, several legal instruments, not yet disclosed, will be signed.
In July 2023, during the visit of then Prime Minister António Costa to Luanda, the Portugal-Angola line of credit was reinforced from 1.5 to two billion euros.
As part of his schedule, Luís Montenegro will visit the Portuguese School of Luanda.
At the end of June this year, the Minister of Education of Portugal, Fernando Alexandre, announced a solution for the 70 teachers who found themselves 'in a situation of serious precariousness' in this establishment.
The Prime Minister will visit the Fortaleza de São Miguel, a 16th century military fortification that became a museum after Angola's Independence.
The first day's agenda ends with a reception for the Portuguese community, in a hotel in Luanda, with a performance by Angolan singer and composer Toty Sa'Med (TBC).
The second day will focus on the economic aspect, one of the pillars of this trip, starting with visits to two companies.
These are Powergol, which originates in Braga (Portugal) and operates in the energy and electrical equipment sector (with a focus on staff training), and Refriango, an Angolan company leader in the production of bottled beverages.
In the afternoon, Luís Montenegro visits, at FILDA, the Portuguese pavilion and several stands of Portuguese and Angolan companies, and closes the Angola-Portugal Business Forum, dedicated to the theme of the agri-food sector.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The Portuguese Minister of Economy, Pedro Reis, and the Angolan Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, will also speak at this forum.
The third and final day of the visit, on Thursday, will be spent almost entirely in the province of Benguela, where Luís Montenegro will learn about the Lobito Corridor.
With funding from the United States and the European Union, the Lobito Corridor connects the provinces of Benguela, Huambo, Bié and Moxico and integrates, as infrastructures, the Port of Lobito, the Mining Terminal, the Catumbela airport and the Benguela Railway (CFB).
This railway extends to the Copperbelt mining areas in Zambia and Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), promoting faster and more competitive exports of cobalt, copper and other minerals from these countries.
In Benguela, the Portuguese Prime Minister will begin by meeting with the Governor of the Province, Luís Manuel da Fonseca Nunes, and will visit the future facilities of the Consulate General of Portugal.
This will be followed by a trip to the largest photovoltaic solar plant in Angola, the Biópio Solar Power Plant, and the port of the city of Lobito, before reaching the Benguela Railways and the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), the consortium made up of Trafigura, Mota-Engil and Vecturis that has the concession for 30 years.
Luís Montenegro returns to Luanda in the late afternoon, where he will have military honors at the farewell ceremony at the Presidential Palace, with a meeting with the press and a dinner hosted by the Portuguese ambassador in Luanda, Francisco Alegre Duarte. ART/DOJ
