Luanda - The Angolan and the Ethiopian authorities defended on Tuesday, in Addis Ababa, the strengthening of bilateral relations through the implementation of pending agreements and soon the signing of other legal cooperation documents in the areas of air services, justice and human rights.
The issue was assessed during an audience that the minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Mesganu Arga Moach, granted to the Angolan ambassador to that country, as well as to the African Union (AU), Miguel César Domingos Bembe.
According to a note to which ANGOP had access, the two officials plan to hold an opening meeting of the Bilateral Commission for Economic, Technical, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation, within the scope of a Business and Investment Forum with the aim of boosting partnerships in the level of the private sector of both countries, to take place in Luanda or Addis Ababa.
The Ethiopian official congratulated the Republic of Angola for its multiple initiatives to bring peace to Africa, as well as for taking up the presidency of the African Union (AU) in February this year.
He also praised Angola's role in the AU Peace and Security Council, and wished that Angola has close collaboration with his country, which presented a candidacy as a member of that body, whose electoral process should take place during the AU's statutory meeting, scheduled for next February, in Addis Ababa.
Angola and Ethiopia in 2024 signed a General Cooperation Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding between the two Governments, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding for the Establishment of Political Consultation Mechanisms between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries.
However, the representatives of both countries consider that bilateral relations still continue at a level of cooperation that does not correspond to the current economic development and strategic influence of the interested countries (Angola at the crossroads between the Southern and Central regions of the African continent and Ethiopia, without crossings between Africa, the Middle East and Asia).
As a result, the Bilateral Agreement on Air Services was recently renegotiated in Luanda, and the signing could take place on the sidelines of the 38th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, in mid-February this year, thus marking a strengthening of relations between the two countries.
In November 2023, the Angolan Diplomatic Mission in Ethiopia held, in Addis Ababa, an interactive workshop on investments in Angola, which laid the foundations for the establishment of a structured and dynamic relationship between companies, chambers of commerce and associations from both countries to foster cooperation at the private sector level.
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