Luanda — The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, said in an interview published Thursday by the US newspaper 'The New York Times ' that Angola has always worked to have a close relationship with the United States of America, within the framework of mutually advantageous co-operation.
In an interview broadcasted by Angola Public Television TPA, in the framework of the visit to Angola by US President Joe Biden, the statesman justified the commitment to this cooperation because the US is the world's leading power.
'Obviously all countries seek to have a good relationship with the United States of America. And Angola is no exception,' Lourenço said.
João Lourenço emphasised that this effort on Angola's part had always existed, such as during the Cold War, having recalled that the end of the war against the Apartheid regime was signed in New York.
'The famous New York Accords put an end to the conflict that Angola had with the Apartheid regime,' Lourenço said.
According to João Lourenço, this is why America is so important to Angola, among other reasons.
When asked by The New York Times journalist about the less favourable context of the relationship between the two countries during the Cold War, João Lourenço replied that in relations between states, 'we always have to be positive and think ahead'.
'And to be positive is to do what Japan did, to do what Vietnam did, which were in conflict with the United States of America, specifically, at a certain stage in the history of their respective countries, and which today are great partners of the Americans and as a result their countries have developed sufficiently,' Lourenço explained.
The Head of State said that Angola has embarked on a market economy, and there is no country with this system that does not have relations with the United States of America.
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Joaõ Lourenço emphasised that the aim is to attract American investment for the development of the economy and to open the doors of the American market to Angolan investors, so 'for all these reasons, we necessarily had to take this step'.
'It may have been a sin just because it was, shall we say, late, but, as they say, better late than never,' Lourenço added.
It is in this context, according to President João Lourenço, Angola awaits Joe Biden's visit, which in the first place, is to further strengthen relations of friendship and cooperation that already exist between our two countries.
President Joe Biden's visit is scheduled for December 2 to 4, with a bilateral meeting with his Angolan counterpart in Luanda and a trip to Benguela province, home of the Lobito Corridor infrastructure.ART/DAN/AMP
