Algiers: Angolan President Joo Louren§o acknowledged on Tuesday, in the Algerian parliament, Algeria's "unwavering" support for Angola's liberation struggle and defended the preservation of historical memory against attempts to "whitewash the horrors of colonialism." In his speech to Algerian MPs, Joo Louren§o stated that Angola will never forget the solidarity shown by the Algerian people during the struggle against Portuguese colonial domination and in the process of recognizing the country as an independent state.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the Angolan Head of State emphasized that Algeria has contributed decisively, in terms of material, political and staff training, for Angola to become a sovereign nation capable of defining its own course. The Angolan President, who has been on a state visit to Algeria since Monday, recalled that, in the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of National Independence, held last November, Angola paid tribute to Algerian historical figures such as Ahmed Ben Bella and Houari Boum©di¨ne, for the role played in favour of the self-determination of the Angolan people.
Joo Louren§o considered the Maghreb nation a 'brother country, safe ally and loyal partner' and stressed that the two states share values built over time, in addition to sustaining the solid friendship between both peoples. The statesman, dressed in a burnous (a traditional Algerian cloak) also said that Angola and Algeria faced colonial systems marked by violence and the denial of the dignity of their peoples, as well as external control of national wealth.
In the month in which Algeria marks the massacres of May 8, 1945, the President of the Republic defended the need to preserve the historical truth and combat all attempts to tamper with the crimes committed during the colonial period. He also stressed that the high-level visits between the two countries aim to identify new areas of cooperation and mechanisms for implementing joint projects, with a focus on strengthening bilateral relations.
The Angolan statesman's intervention comes after the signing, on Monday, of 11 legal instruments of cooperation between Luanda and Algiers, in the fields of Oil and Gas, Transport, Mines, Water Resources, Vocational Training, Postal and Telecommunications, among other sectors. During his stay in Algeria, Joo Louren§o also visits infrastructures considered strategic for the economic and social development of that North African country.
