Portugal’s prime minister announced on Tuesday an increase in the Portugal-Angola credit line by another 500 million euros and set the goal of giving “a new big boost” to relations between the two countries, especially economic ones.
Luis Montenegro spoke at the Presidential Palace after a private meeting with the President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, and before a meeting of the extended delegations of the two countries.
“I want to announce to you what I told President João Lourenço: the credit line, which currently stands at two billion euros, will be strengthened by another 500 million euros,” he said.
The prime minister said that while the line had not yet been exhausted, the increase “was a sign of confidence in Angola’s future.”
“This will help Portuguese companies and the Angolan government invest in infrastructure, as well as in other areas that can contribute to the diversification of the Angolan economy and create conditions for the country’s development,” he said.
Luis Montenegro has taken on the task of the XXIV Constitutional Government to continue what was done in the past in bilateral relations with Angola, but not only that.
“Our goal is really to create a new impetus, a new big impetus in relations between the two countries and in economic relations in particular,” he said.
The Prime Minister stressed that Portugal has been Angola’s partner “at all times”, as is the case in the opposite direction, and thanked the country for its support during the “troika” period, when he was the parliamentary leader of the PSD.
“Because of the political responsibility I had in the past, I myself do not forget how the Angolan government, Angolan companies, Angolan institutions supported Portugal during the greatest financial crisis, when our economy was in a very difficult situation,” he said.
Therefore, he stressed, “with the same spirit of solidarity, the Portuguese also seek to help Angola grow, to promote its economic activity and to transform this activity into the creation of more jobs, better jobs and the creation of conditions for the greater good – to be among the Angolans.”
“An example of this are the more than 1,250 companies that currently operate in Angola, producing for the domestic market and, fortunately, many of them also for the foreign market, for countries neighbouring Angola, which today are also destinations for products that correspond to Angolan exports, but which are the basis of the production of Portuguese companies,” he said on the eve of his visit to the Luanda International Fair (FILDA).
In a more general context, Montenegro stressed the importance of the visit, which took place “after only three months in office,” calling Angola a “brotherly country.”
“From education to justice, from culture, the preservation and promotion of the Portuguese language to economic relations, in many areas we have strengthened our relations for the prosperity of our countries and the well-being of our peoples,” he stressed.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.