Luanda — The President of Madagascar, Andry Nirina Rajoelina, arrived in Luanda on Wednesday afternoon for a three-day official visit to Angola, at the invitation of his counterpart João Lourenço, to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
The Malagasy statesman's visit program begins on Thursday with a visit to the António Agostinho Memorial, where he will pay tribute to the first President of Angola.
He will then go to the Presidential Palace, in the Upper City, where, after being received with military honors, he will hold a meeting with the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, while talks between the delegations of the two countries are taking place, which finalize details on the agreements to be signed.
Moments later, João Lourenço and Andry Rajoelina will witness the signing of agreements in the diplomatic, commercial and economic fields.
In the afternoon, the Malagasy Head of State will travel to the National Assembly, where a special session is scheduled in honor of his visit to Angola.
Rajoelina's first day of work in Angola will conclude with a visit to the Luanda Refinery, to learn about its operation.
On Friday, the last day of the visit, a trip to the Luanda Science Center is scheduled, before receiving farewell greetings at the Presidential Palace.
Cooperation
Last June, during a ministerial meeting held in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, the two countries exchanged notes for the establishment of diplomatic relations and announced the signing of a general framework cooperation agreement.
In the joint communiqué of the meeting, the parties also decided to initialize a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations and an Agreement on the suppression of visas in diplomatic and service passports.
It was also agreed to exchange high-level official visits and the accreditation of ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary.
The two governments are interested in cooperating in various fields, with emphasis on mineral resources, agriculture, fisheries, tourism and education.
In December 2023, at the investiture ceremony of the Malagasy Head of State, re-elected for a third term, João Lourenço and Andry Rajoelina addressed the need to increase cooperation relations between both countries.
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Madagascar is an island country located near the southeast coast of the African continent, and a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), like Angola.
The country, with an estimated population of more than 28 million, has no land borders and its closest neighbors are Mozambique, Seychelles, Comoros and several French possessions in the region.
Near the bustling capital, Antananarivo, is located Ambohimanga, a complex of royal palaces and tombs on a hillside, as well as the 'Avenue of the Baobabs', a dirt road lined with huge centuries-old trees. ART/DOJ
