Luanda - The ambassador of Venezuela in Luanda, Marlon José Lavrador, on Tuesday encouraged the revitalization of inter-parliamentary relations with Angola through the creation of friendship groups between the two countries.
The Venezuelan diplomat, who was speaking to the press at the end of a meeting with the Angolan National Assembly speaker, Carolina Cerqueira, informed that his country's legislative body has already taken a significant step, last April, with the creation of a friendship group with Angola, pending just for its formalization.
He also said that steps were also being taken at the Angolan Parliament to create a parliamentary friendship group with Venezuela, for the exchange of visits and inter-parliamentary exchange.
Marlon José Lavrador and Carolina Cerqueira also reviewed the current state of bilateral cooperation and the major challenges that the two countries face in order to strengthen their economies.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a country located in South America, with a total area of 916,445 kilometers. It has a mixed economy, based on the oil-dominated market, which accounts for about a third of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Since 2005, Venezuela has maintained full diplomatic relations with the African continent, where Angola is considered one of the most important partners.
Relations between the two countries were boosted by the visit of the then President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, to Angola in August 2006.
In July 2017, Venezuela and Angola signed, in Caracas, two memoranda of understanding to develop diamond extraction in Venezuelan territory.
The agreements contemplate cooperation for the training of professional Venezuelan miners in the production of diamonds, at artisanal, semi-industrial and industrial levels, the optimization of processes for the commercialization of rough diamonds, cutting, organization, processing and dynamization of procedures based on Kimberley Process Certification System, which controls diamond exports and legal commercialization in the international market.
Angola formalizes invitation to Côte d´Ivoire for IPU meeting
The President of the National Assembly, Carolina Cerqueira, formalized on Tuesday the invitation to her counterpart from Côte d'Ivoire, Adama Bictogo, to participate in the 147th General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Union (UIP) that Angola will host in October this year.
The invitation was given to the ambassador of Côte d´Ivoire accredited in Angola, Santier Jean-Marie Somet, who considered the IPU meeting fundamental for the strengthening of parliaments around the world.
Angola is the first African State and the second Portuguese-speaking one, after Brazil, to organize the biggest event of parliaments in the world, for which 1,500 foreign delegates are expected.
Jean-Marie Onlyment expressed, on the occasion, his country's interest in strengthening cooperation relations with Angola in various domains.
Angola and Côte d'Ivoire established diplomatic relations in 1983. DC/SC/ADR/DOJ
