Lula unveils agricultural development program for Angola
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during his meeting with Angolan President João Manuel Lourenço in Luanda on Friday (Aug. 25), unveiled a collaborative initiative between the Ministries of Agriculture of Brazil and Angola. The program is designed to foster agricultural development in Angola, with particular emphasis on the Cunene River Valley region.
Lula articulated the program's overarching goal, stating, "Our priority is to instigate an agricultural revolution in Angola to ensure economic growth and food security for its population."
In his view, Brazil is the ideal partner, citing shared challenges and Brazil's capacity to contribute through technological expertise and public policies. The collaborative effort will extend to engaging the Brazilian private sector to support Angola in enhancing its irrigation infrastructure while emphasizing environmental sustainability.
Lula outlined the comprehensive approach of the program, which “consolidates 25 complementary actions aimed at promoting agricultural development in the region.” This multifaceted strategy encompasses “agricultural research, training for the implementation of credit policies for small-scale producers, and infrastructure development,” he added.
Drawing parallels, Lula likened the Cunene Valley to Brazil's São Francisco Valley, a region historically plagued by droughts that has been transformed into a flourishing agricultural hub.
The meeting also saw the signing of seven cooperation agreements between the two nations, spanning the realms of diplomacy, tourism, health, agriculture, education, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, and export promotion.
Earlier in the day, Lula paid homage at the memorial dedicated to Antônio Agostinho Neto, the Angolan leader who championed his nation's fight for independence from Portuguese colonial rule, a milestone achieved in 1975. Notably, Brazil was the very first nation to acknowledge Angola's independence.
Return to Africa
Lula's visit to Angola signifies a momentous event, symbolizing Brazil's renewed engagement with Africa. He commented on the recent history of neglect toward African nations and vowed to rectify it: "In recent years, unfortunately, Brazil has treated African countries with indifference. For the first time since our return to democracy, we've had a president who did not visit Africa. Brazilian embassies on the continent were shuttered, and cooperation dwindled. We withdrew from international forums. Now, we are poised to rectify these errors and elevate our strategic partnership to new heights."
Lula emphasized the importance of Brazil's support for Angola's endeavor to diversify its economy, which he described as a concerted "effort." "Our trade can be broader and more diverse. Bilateral trade has fallen dramatically since 2015, but in the first half of this year alone it has grown by almost 65 percent compared to the same period last year," he said.
