Luanda - The Secretary of Defense of the United States of America, Lloyd Austin, considered this Wednesday, in Luanda, Angola as “a rising leader in the African region and beyond”, who has become a highly esteemed and suitable partner for his country.
Lloyd Austin spoke about the new angles of US policy towards Africa and the power of partnership, as part of his visit to the country, which marked the end of a tour of the African continent, which took him to Kenya and Djibouti, respectively.
According to the Secretary of Defense, over the last few years, U.S relations with Angola have made immense progress, which is why cooperation with the Angolan Government is being deepened in military modernization, training, maritime security and medical readiness.
He said that the United States is committed to working together more closely in peacekeeping, climate change, intelligence, space cooperation and other areas.
Therefore, he explained, this is the reason that brings him to Angola to reinforce this solid and equal partnership, further highlighting the importance of Africa in defining the world in the 21st century, for the United States, as well as for common prosperity and collective security.
During his speech, Loyd Austin reaffirmed the commitment of the American Government and the President of the United States in the future of Africa, saying that it is known that the continent faces great challenges.
According to the American defense ofiicial, Africa is on the front line of many of the most urgent common threats of the 21st century, namely pandemics, food insecurity, the climate crisis, terrorism, plunder of resources and the return of autocracy.
He recognized, however, that there is a range of very inspiring Africans, from leaders, activists and agents of change who are also on the front line, fighting a whole series of great challenges.
In this sense, he cited, as an example, the work carried out by a young Angolan businesspeople, whose action focuses on corn production and the connection between American farmers and Angolan consumers, aiming to end food insecurity in the country.
On the other hand, he defended the construction of defense partnerships that leverage common security and expand the principles shared with African partners, as well as speaking about the situation of peace, security and unconstitutional changes in some countries on the continent, a situation, to all levels, deemed reprehensible.
However, the minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, said that the U.S Secretary of Defense's speech is in line with Angola's foreign policy, regarding concerns about unconstitutional changes in Africa.
The head of Angolan diplomacy, who spoke to the press moments after Lloyd Austin's statement on the new angles of US policy towards Africa, recalled that Angola promoted, later this month, the African Union (AU) Summit on unconstitutional changes in Malabo , in Equatorial Guinea, as part of the approach to the coup d'état in Gabon.
Regarding the fact that Angola has been considered a rising leader in Africa and a highly suitable partner for the United States, Téte António said that it is the result of the work that the Executive has been developing at the level of the continent, where the country has made its contribution, as a State Africa, for the region's stabilization.
What Angola does doesn't go unnoticed in the world, he assured, defending the consolidation of cooperation with the United States of America.
Asked about the possibility of Angola acquiring American military material, the minister said it was necessary to take into account that the country is open to the world, and has been diversifying its partnerships, not only on the continent, but also in other parts, across Asia and the American continent.
He also alluded to the diversity of economic partners and other areas that can be developed, taking into account the opening up around the world.
Arriving in Luanda on Tuesday, Lloyd Austin's first visit to Angola aimed to strengthen cooperation with Angola.
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