Luanda – Angolan head of State João Lourenço awarded Friday his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with the "António Agostinho Neto Order", the highest distinction of the Angolan State.
The Agostinho Neto Order consists of a single degree and is awarded to nationals and foreigners, in particular heads of State and Government and political leaders.
At the same ceremony, the Brazilian President awarded his counterpart João Lourenço with the Order of the Southern Cross, a title that honours notable personalities born outside the country.
The Angolan Head of State João Lourenço considered the distinction special and thanked for the gesture on behalf of the people and the Angolan Government.
"I receive this distinction with humility and with great joy" said João Lourenço, who dedicated the decoration to the Angolan people for their dedication and endured sacrifices in the fight for the freedom of peoples.
We endured tremendous sacrifices, added the Angolan statesman, to ensure the affirmation of South Africa and Namibia in the concert of the nations as free peoples and masters of their respective destinies.
In turn, Lula da Silva said it was "very honorable" in 50 years of politics and at the age of 77 to receive a decoration with the name of António Agostinho Neto, "the most important Order in Angola that bears the name of the symbol of this country".
To the Brazilian statesman, Agostinho Neto died before his time, taking into account his desire to “build Angola he dreamed of, throughout the struggle for Independence.
Lula da Silva promised to carry the medal "with the commitment that whoever has a cause cannot stop fighting", adding that the award increases his responsibility in the world campaign he is trying to undertake against inequality.
Among the personalities awarded with the António Agostinho Neto Order include Nelson Mandela (1990) and then Kenneth Kaunda, Omar Bongo, Aristides Pereira, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Robert Mugabe, Quett Masire, Joaquim Chissano, Manuel Pinto da Costa and Fidel Castro, all in 1992.
Also deserved the Award the President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (2019), King Felipe VI and Queen Consort Letizia Ortiz, of Spain (2023). NE/AL/ADR/CF/NIC
