With the aim of creating mechanisms to increase bilateral relations in the cultural, economic and community sectors, the Vice-President of Angola, Esperança da Costa, and the Russian ambassador to Angola, Vladimir Tararov, met Monday in Luanda Province.
During the meeting, which was granted to the Russian diplomat by the Angolan Vice-President, the two personalities analysed issues relating to the Russia and Africa Summit, which is scheduled to take place this month in St Petersburg.
The Humanitarian Economic Forum, which will be attended by Heads of State and Government, will be preceded by a Humanitarian Economic Forum for business people to share their views.
The diplomat said that the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, which will take place within the framework of the second Russia-Africa Summit, is a unique event in relations with the African countries.
He noted that the Forum aims to diversify the ways and sectors related to Russian and African cooperation, as well as to set its long-term development.
To him, traditionally, the open discussions of the event’s business programme will address the most relevant topics on the Russian-African agenda. Given the wide range of areas that cover Russian-African cooperation beyond the economy, it was decided to add a significant humanitarian component to the 2023 Forum, adding that the event will also have a wide exhibition and a venue for business meetings.
He went on to stress that Angola could boost its economy in the mining and agricultural fields and revealed that his government is preparing a fertiliser factory to help Angolan farmers as part of the cooperation between the two countries.
The Russian ambassador to Angola told Esperança da Costa about the visits he made to the provinces of Huíla, Benguela, Namibe and Huambo and informed her also that a Russian company is already supplying seeds to suitable regions in Angola.
Regarding education, he said that the Russian government wants to build vocational education and training schools for young people to mitigate poverty and hunger.
Angola and the Russian Federation have been working to strengthen cooperation, highlighting the diversification of the strategic partnership in the political, diplomatic, defence, security, technological and business fields.
On the other hand, also on Monday, the Vice-President granted an audience to the Hungarian ambassador, Mr Zsolt Maris, to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two states.
Cooperation relations between Angola and Hungary were made official in 1997 with the signing of the Economic, Technical and Scientific Agreement. Subsequently, in 1977 and 1981, several agreements were signed in the sectors of agriculture, culture, trade and health.
In 2018, exchange agreements were also signed between the Institute of International Relations of Angola and the Institute of International Relations and Trade of Hungary and a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Angola and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the Agreement on Economic, Technical and Scientific Cooperation.
Finally, as part of the cooperation between the two states, an agreement on the visa waiver in diplomatic and service passports was signed in 2019.
Meanwhile, the two countries also have an Educational Exchange Programme between the Ministry of Higher Education of Angola and the Hungarian Ministry of Human Capacities
Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)