HIS EXCELLENCE, SULTAN MOHAMMED AL SHAMSI, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AFFAIRS AT THE UAE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS; YOUR EXCELLENCES, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DIPLOMATIC BODY; ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE ANGOLAN COMMUNITY RESIDENT IN THE UAE; MY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
First of all, I would like to extend a warm welcome to everyone who honored us with their presence at this event, which represents, here in the United Arab Emirates, the central milestone of the days celebrating the 48th Anniversary of the Proclamation of National Independence, an event of utmost importance and high historical significance for all Angolans, which this year is celebrated under the motto: “NOVEMBER 11 – UNITED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANGOLA.
On behalf of His Excellency, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, I address a very special and fraternal greeting to the People and leaders of this fabulous country that has welcomed us so well since the opening of our Diplomatic Mission in September 2008. Our greetings are particularly addressed to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates. EXCELLENCES, MY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; The Independence of Angola proclaimed on November 11, 1975 represented a historic turning point for all Angolans who for several generations fought and gave their lives for the conquest of the country’s freedom and sovereignty, resulting from this epic, the emergence of conditions that led to the definition of its own destiny as a People and a Free Nation.
The Republic of Angola and the United Arab Emirates maintain an excellent level of friendly and cooperative relations that were established on December 11, 1997, and since then, thanks to the commitment of their respective leaders, there has been a progressive development in bilateral cooperation, highlighting the increasingly frequent reciprocal official visits. Proof of this are the visits to the highest level by His Excellency, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, as well as the official visits of Angolan entities to the United Arab Emirates and vice versa. In the relationship between the two States, the implementation of several projects stands out, in light of which a growing number of businesspeople from the United Arab Emirates invest in various areas of the Angolan economy, including Agriculture, Industry, Renewable Energy and Infrastructure, sectors elected as priorities by the Angolan Executive. Also notable is the increase in the number of Angolans visiting this country with the purpose of exploring business and investment opportunities.
EXCELLENCES, MY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
From this platform, I would like to appeal to the economic operators present here to continue participating in the development process of the Angolan economy, taking full advantage of ongoing reforms, such as: The Privatization Program (PROPRIV); The Production Support, Export Diversification and Import Substitution Program (PRODESI) and the National Promotion Plan for Grain Production (PLANAGRÃO). These programs aim to: Promote economic diversification, aiming to gradually reduce dependence on oil, to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth; Stabilization of the macroeconomy; Increase in food production, especially cereals and coffee, with a view to reducing imports and increasing exports; job creation and improvement of social conditions for families.
Still in this aspect, within the framework of economic diplomacy, we continue to call for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) aimed at large projects, namely the Lobito Corridor, infrastructure that plays a fundamental role in the socio-economic context not only of Angola, but also of southern African region. In the same way, I would like to highlight the importance of the New Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport, which was inaugurated on November 10, 2023, and is one of the major public infrastructures that will have a huge impact on the growth of the Angolan economy, annually moving 15 million passengers and 130 thousand tons of cargo. EXCELLENCES, MY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; It is important to highlight the measures recently adopted by the Government of Angola, related to the facilitation and exemption of visas for entry into Angolan territory for citizens of 98 countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Citizens of beneficiary countries now enjoy exemption from entry visas, being able to stay for up to 30 days per entry and up to 90 days per year. EXCELLENCES, MY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; With a view to holding COP 28 (Conference of the Parties to the Convention – United Nations Framework on Climate Change – COP28 in Dubai, an extremely important event, Angola, which will be represented at the highest level, defends the need for urgent implementation of measures relating to the reduction of polluting gases, reduction of deforestation, reduction of the use of fossil energy and the widespread use of renewable energy. DEAR COMPATRIOTS; To the Angolan Community residing here in the United Arab Emirates, which, according to data from the Consulate General of Angola in Dubai, already represents approximately TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE, I send a message of fraternity, of deep solidarity on this date, in the certainty that we are all together, of hand in hand, undertaking with our knowledge to join the Government’s effort and make our country an increasingly better place to live. We have plenty of examples, just look around where each of us lives…The United Arab Emirates is a good model. Finally, once again thank you for your presence. Thank you very much Shukran.
