Minister of External Relations, Téte António;
Provincial Governor of Luanda;
Ministers of State;
Ministers;
Ladies and Gentlemen Ambassadors;
Distinguished MIREX officials;
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Approximately five years ago, I had the honor of opening the 8th Ambassadors’ meeting, where we addressed relevant issues on the challenges of Angolan diplomacy.We spoke at that time about the international political situation and gave indications on the priorities that formed the fundamental lines of force of our external activity. Today we must recognize that the evaluation of the performance of Angolan diplomacy is generally positive.It is evident that today we are facing a new world context. It will be due to this that each of the diplomats, at their level, should make use of their ability to understand the global phenomena that occur in these times, interpret them properly, and contribute to the formulation of the strategies that will define our positioning in the international arena.
Honorable Ambassadors,
Ladies and gentlemen,
We all had the opportunity to follow the diplomatic activity carried out by the Executive in recent years, aiming to take Angola’s message abroad and raising awareness among governments, public entities in matters of cooperation, entrepreneurs, and potential investors to mobilize financing, attract private investment, reinforce cooperation and partnerships, as well as reposition our country in the context of Africa and the World.This effort is part of the strategy to promote the economic and social development of our country by attracting direct foreign investment in the national economy, through which we intend to diversify the economy, increase the internal production of goods and services, increase exports, create more jobs and improve the living conditions of our populations.Despite the Covid-19 pandemic having limited the results we wanted to achieve for about two years, we now feel that little by little, our international partners have focused their attention on our market, following the significant improvement in the business environment, which today is more favorable to private investment.Our diplomatic and consular missions must pay particular attention to economic diplomacy, publicizing our country’s great economic potential in a targeted manner, the great economic potential of our country, legislation approved in recent years to remove or reduce bureaucracy and other obstacles, the fight that has been waging against corruption and impunity, the privatization program of important State assets through public tender and other essential measures already taken and which are yielding positive results.Our Embassies must work to attract investors in all areas of our economy, highlight our agricultural potential, which, in this food crisis, can contribute to reducing the deficit by increasing the production of food to be exported, highlight our energy potential, our capacity to export green hydrogen and to produce batteries for electric cars, as a contribution to reducing carbon emissions.Through you, the world needs to know that Angola has joined the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and that investors thus have a greater guarantee of transparency in granting exploration, production, and commercialization licenses for all our mineral resources.As Angola is a country that promotes peace and national reconciliation, we need to encourage the peace industry and tourism, attracting not only investment in tourist infrastructure, but also tourists to come and explore our beautiful landscapes, our diverse gastronomy, and rich culture.For this, our diplomatic and consular missions must facilitate the issuance of visas for people in business and all foreign citizens who want to come for tourism or to get to know our country.This is a fundamental condition for the necessary opening of the country to foreign direct investment and international tourism. The arrival or not of the big hotel chains and the big international tour operators depends a lot on the good or bad work carried out by you, from whom we have an obligation to demand results and hold them accountable.
Honorable Ambassadors,
Ladies and gentlemen
I recently appointed Ambassadors to various countries within the framework of a rotation process of heads of diplomatic missions, which must now be done regularly, including their return to the central body, extended to diplomats of other categories and technical staff working abroad.They will have an arduous task ahead of them, which they must always seek to exercise with a sense of duty and with a permanent concern to promote and create a good image of Angola abroad, in which the fundamental aspects of our culture, hospitality and the spirit of solidarity of the Angolan people and other values that characterize us.I have just emphasized important challenges that you will have to face in the course of your mission and that will require from all of you the necessary appreciation of teamwork and responsible and parsimonious management of the resources that will be placed at your disposal to carry out your tasks and obligations for with the welcoming State, avoiding behavior that tarnishes the good name and reputation of the Republic of Angola.In addition to representation functions in the receiving country, our diplomatic and consular missions must pay particular attention to our diaspora in meeting their legal and consular needs, ensure that they are permanently informed about relevant events taking place in the country, celebrate in together the main national events and encourage activities in our communities that aim to promote our culture and gastronomy abroad.Angolans in the diaspora who, for various reasons, freely chose another country to live, work and fulfill their dreams are as Angolan as any other and, as such, deserve our full attention, particularly in those moments when they face conflicts with the law and require consular support from their country.
Dear Ambassadors,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
When we held the previous Ambassadors’ meeting, the international political context was also characterized by a set of various conflicts unfolding in different regions of the globe.Nothing led us to believe that we would experience a world reality as complex and dangerous as the current one due to the war between Russia and Ukraine and the increase in tension between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan.It is important to remember that there was never, in fact, an effective peace in the world after the Second World War, despite the emergence of the United Nations, whose role is to guarantee world peace and security.The Cold War between two antagonistic blocs with very different concepts of society’s organization dominated the international political panorama in the little more than four decades that preceded the fall of the Berlin Wall.The end of the Cold War, which seemed to be the harbinger of a new era of peace for Humanity, did not bring with it, as we can testify, the universal harmony and harmony desired by all the peoples of the world, as conflicts continued for reasons always linked to the interests of some without taking into account the interests of others.
The absence of this balance of interests is at the origin of many of the evils of our times and hence the need for world leaders to assume the responsibility of making a profound reflection on the central and unavoidable role that the United Nations must have so that the destinies of Humanity are built based on scrupulous respect and observance of the norms of International Law and the Charter of the United Nations.
There is a call for a new world order, different from the one resulting from World War II because it mainly defended the interests of the winners of that great confrontation that took place almost eight decades ago, but the construction of this new world order based on the current order cannot be the at any price, with the loss of thousands of human lives, a significant increase in the number of displaced persons and refugees, the destruction of infrastructure and the assets of countries, the increase in hunger and poverty of peoples or, even worse, the imminence of break out of a nuclear war that would end life on planet Earth.A world without rules is an extremely dangerous world for everyone, even those who consider themselves the strongest and most invincible.
All the most recent facts that have occurred in the international arena demonstrate the urgency of restructuring the United Nations Security Council, guaranteeing the presence, as permanent members, of regions of the planet that are currently excluded, such as Africa and Latin and South America, whose voice cannot be it can be neglected because it can be decisive in making decisions on crucial issues such as peace and security, food security, environmental protection, public health and others that have to do with the survival of everyone at a global level.Safe and lasting solutions have not yet been found for dangerous and prolonged conflict situations such as those on the Korean peninsula and the Israeli-Palestinian one, whose Security Council resolutions have been disrespected and ignored.
Our own African continent faces numerous armed conflicts, some internal and others between neighboring countries. Based on our experience, we have tried to help our brothers and sisters overcome the conflicts affecting their countries so that they can dialogue, negotiate peace and thus dedicate all available energies and resources to the exclusive service of their countries economic and social development.The Great Lakes region, which encompasses many countries, is rich in mineral, water, forestry, and arable land resources, the development of which has been delayed for decades by the almost permanent instability that reigns there.
The populations of these countries are not benefiting from this tremendous existing potential. Although several groups are active in the east of the DRC, today, a window of opportunity opens up for the cantonment, disarmament, and reintegration of elements of the M23.Concerning the ceasefire in force for about a month, everything must be done to actually take the necessary steps, with the urgency that the case requires, so as not to miss this window of opportunity that has opened up.
Angola was the victim of the invasion and occupation of part of its territory by the Army of the Apartheid regime in South Africa; the Angolans fought on the ground and won successive battles that culminated in the one in Cuito Cuanavale, but perhaps we would not have reached definitive peace for Angola, the Independence of Namibia, the release of Nelson Mandela and the fall of the Apartheid regime, if we had not negotiated and signed the New York Accords.That is why Angolan diplomacy defends the negotiated and peaceful resolution of conflicts, whatever their size and scope, and on any continent.
The world is following with great concern the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine and the annexation of territories from an independent country, a situation that Angola condemns.We call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to create the environment for the start of negotiations to establish a lasting peace and to avoid the escalation of a war that has already caused the greatest humanitarian, food, and energy crisis the world has known, since the end of World War II in 1945 and for representing the greatest threat to world peace and security, through the direct and indirect involvement of the major international powers.
Dear Ambassadors,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to continue achieving more remarkable successes in our diplomacy, we must be concerned with better organizing our house, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the ministerial department in charge of executing the foreign policy of the Angolan State.The continuous training of our diplomats and officials must be at the center of our concerns. We need to get the most out of the Venâncio de Moura Diplomatic Academy and rotate our Chief Ambassadors of diplomatic missions and other diplomatic personnel more.Between two missions abroad, while waiting for the next mission, Ambassadors must work in the Ministry, be busy in different directions, or give lectures at the Diplomatic Academy to convey their experience.
The Ministry of External Relations and Finance should be more concerned with taking care of Angola’s assets abroad; I am referring above all to the existing real estates assets, such as chancellery buildings, employee residences, and land for construction, whose works sometimes take years to start. All this heritage must be better managed, conserved, and monetized. I wish you all success in your tasks.
I declare the 9th Extended Consultative Council of the Ministry of External Relations opened.
Thank you very much.
