Brazil, Angola ink bilateral deal on security

On the fourth and last part of his visit to West African countries, Brazil’s Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo signed the Agreement on Security and Internal Order in Luanda today (Dec. 12).

Araújo was also welcomed by Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, to whom the chancellor handed Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s official invitation to visit Brazil in 2020. The minister met with Finance Minister Vera Daves de Sousa.

The pact, Araújo stated, is a major step in fighting organize crime, terrorism, and drug trafficking in land as well as in both countries’ sea territory. “The project of a new Brazil fills us with enthusiasm,” he said.

Brazil seeks “a new vision” for its ties with Africa, which should be closer and more productive, he argued, with more trade and investment in the African continent.

“We’re showing the true dimension of our politics, which tries to be creative,” he continued. This new magnitude, he remarked, meets “the needs of our societies,” which requires more contact with Africa, which the chancellor counted as one of Brazil’s “priorities.”

Defense industry

In the capital, Araújo attended the opening ceremony of a seminar on Brazil’s industrial base of defense. During the event, representatives from defense companies shared information about the technology of Brazilian products.

The Brazilian diplomat said that Brazil hopes to bolster relations with the Angolan government and people in the economic and commercial fields, in addition to defense and security, and cooperation.

Engagement

After visiting Cape Verde, Senegal, and Nigeria, Ernesto Araújo described his visit to Angola as “the crowning of a tour in Africa, which attests to the willingness of the Brazilian government to expand its engagement with this continent.”

From January to November this year, Brazil exported $408.4 million to Angola. Imports from the African country added up to $140.5 million. Brazil’s balance for the first 11 months of the year stands at $268 million.

Cooperation

During his meetings with Angolan officials, Araújo mentioned the intense bilateral cooperation growing since the country’s independence in 1975. This, he pointed out, was the third opportunity to see Angolan Chancellor Manuel Domingos Augusto, with whom he had his first work contact shortly after President Bolsonaro’s inauguration.

Partnership

Araújo also talked about Brazil’s commitment to working diligently to step up the human contact between the two nations, enhancing existing cooperation tools for education and health care. As an example of the success of these ties, he mentioned the program installing human milk banks across a number of African countries.

The minister believes professional training and exchange of knowledge will be decisive factors for the creation of a “set of practices and data” to be utilized by Angolans and Brazilians.