US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets this Thursday with the President of Angola to discuss bilateral relations and commitments made at the US-Africa Summit in areas such as climate, food security, health, economics and business.
Other topics of discussion, according to the State Department note, will be the development of a partnership based on shared values that promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, strengthening mutual security and the rule of law.
In addition to meeting João Lourenço, Blinken, who arrived in Luanda on Wednesday evening, will also meet Angolan diplomatic chief Tete António in a day that will begin with a visit to the Luanda Science Center, followed by a meeting at North American capital telecom operator Africell.
Blinken will then travel to the Presidential Palace for an audience with João Lourenco and will meet with the Foreign Minister at the end of the visit.
The United States and Angola have maintained diplomatic relations for 30 years, and the Americans recently recognized the country as a strategic partner in Africa “fundamental to achieving shared goals of expanding economic prosperity and access to energy, protecting democracy and human rights.” and promoting regional security,” the State Department note said.
Last year, US President Joe Biden received Joao Lourenço at the White House on November 30, while Angola welcomed US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Biden envoy Amos Hochstein.
In November 2023, the United States and Angola signed the Artemis Accords for space exploration and initiated a “bilateral open skies agreement” to facilitate air travel between the two countries.
On Tuesday, several Angolan opposition leaders delivered a letter addressed to the US Secretary of State to the US Embassy in Luanda, asking them to pressure President João Lourenço to hold local elections before 2027.
The letter’s signatories ask Blinken to support a democratic state based on the rule of law in Angola and to pressure the Angolan president to hold the first local elections in the country, “the only major country in the region without locally elected leaders.” “to dismantle party institutions and provide all political figures with access to public media.
Blinken’s visit to Africa, which will see him visit Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, comes as the United States seeks to position itself in the face of Russian and Chinese advances on the continent.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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