Luanda: Angolan President Joo Louren§o advocated on Tuesday in Luanda for greater coordination between Angola and Botswana to enable the two countries, as major world producers, to play a key role across the entire diamond sector. The Angolan Head of State made the statement after a private meeting with his Botswanan counterpart, Duma Gideon Boko, who is on a three-day state visit to Angola.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Joo Louren§o emphasized the importance of developing actions in a coordinated manner with other African diamond-producing countries. He highlighted the need for a joint mechanism to protect and safeguard the interests of these nations in terms of production, processing, distribution, and marketing of diamonds. The Angolan president stressed that this initiative aims to enhance the value of natural diamonds over substitutes, which can compromise this significant source of income.
Joo Louren§o further noted that achieving this objective has the potential to elevate cooperation between Angola and Botswana to a strategic level and strengthen the agenda of sovereignty over African resources. This collaboration could significantly impact the definition of global diamond prices. Additionally, the Angolan President expressed openness to Botswana acquiring a significant equity stake in the 6 billion US dollars Lobito Refinery, portraying the project as a strategic regional hub that could shield landlocked nations like Botswana from global oil price volatility.
The Angolan leader also underscored the potential mutual economic benefits of Botswana's participation in the infrastructure-sharing initiative. Furthermore, Joo Louren§o highlighted wider economic cooperation, including agricultural trade and cross-border knowledge sharing to address livestock diseases. He acknowledged Botswana's advanced veterinary vaccine manufacturing capabilities as a significant asset in this collaboration.
"This range of possibilities could become quite substantial if we manage to overcome the constraints that still persist regarding the transport of goods between the two countries," Louren§o added.
