Luanda — The three-day visit by US President Joe Biden to Angola buries a past in relations in which, during the Cold War, the two countries were not always aligned, Angolan Head of State João Lourenço said Tuesday.
Speaking at the opening of talks between delegations from the two countries, the Angolan President said that it also marked an important turning point in relations between the two nations, which "without a shadow of a doubt will see a new dynamic from today onwards".
The president recalled that Angola and the United States have had political-diplomatic relations since May 19, 1993, which have been growing year after year, especially after Angola began a serious fight against corruption and impunity and is creating a better business environment.
As a sign of the growing partnership, the president referred to the meetings of former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos at the White House in September 1991 and December 1995, with Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, respectively.
João Lourenço took the opportunity to thank President Joe Biden for receiving him in a very "friendly and warm way at the White House" on November 30, 2023.
As part of this move to strengthen cooperation, João Lourenço highlighted the fact that the two countries exchange visits by ministerial and business delegations, with emphasis on the visits by the Angolan Ministers of National Defense and the Chief of Staff of the Angolan Armed Forces to Washington and the visits by several American Secretaries of State to Luanda and, more recently and for the first time, by the American Secretary of Defense and the Director of the CIA to Luanda.
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João Lourenço stressed that his state visit to Angola, on the eve of the country's 50th anniversary of independence, will go down in the history of both countries as the first by an American president to set foot on Angolan soil.
"We intend to work together to attract direct American investment to Angola, to open up trade and business opportunities for Angolan investors in the American market," Lourenço said.
President Joe Biden arrived in Angola on Monday for a three-day visit to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
It is a historic visit, as it is the first by a US President to Angola.
Joe Biden's agenda includes a visit to Slavery Museum, where he will give a speech to highlight the enduring strength and relevance of US relations with Angola, in particular, and Africa, in general, and in tackling a wide range of global challenges.
On Wednesday, he will travel to Benguela province, where he will learn about the Carrinho Group factory and visit the Port of Lobito, an important infrastructure in the Lobito Corridor.ART/AMP
