Dar es Salaam:Angolan President João Lourenço has emphasized the need for stronger economic ties between Angola and Tanzania. Speaking during a joint press statement in Dar es Salaam, Lourenço highlighted the necessity for both nations to build upon their history of liberation struggles by focusing on regional development and public welfare.
According to Angola Press News Agency, this visit marks the first state visit by an Angolan head of state to Tanzania in 47 years, since the 1979 visit by Angola's first president, Antonio Agostinho Neto. Lourenço underscored the significance of this historical context in fostering deeper diplomatic and economic relations.
Lourenço also pointed out the importance of closing the gaps between high-level diplomatic engagements, referencing recent visits to Angola by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan. He acknowledged Tanzania's crucial role in supporting southern African liberation movements by providing training, logistics, and education, which contributed significantly to the fight against colonialism and apartheid in Angola, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Angola, in turn, extended similar support to independence movements in Namibia and South Africa.
With the liberation era concluded, Lourenço called on African leaders to focus on economic integration, accelerated growth, and improving the living standards of their populations, marking a shift from past struggles to future development.
