After US President Joe Biden asked for the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in Angola and the investment of North American companies, Luanda received the visit of the Kings of Spain, and in March, it was the turn of the President. France’s Emmanuel Macron visits Luanda, putting the African nation on the path of the biggest European nations.
The French President announced this Thursday that he will tour four Central African countries next week, namely Gabon, where on March 1, Macron will sign the Environment Summit, followed by Angola, the Republic of Congo and finally, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The visit comes at a time when Paris is trying to contain growing Chinese and Russian influence in the region. Macron and his Western allies accuse him of spreading disinformation to undermine French interests in their former colonies and warn that Russian mercenaries, the Wagner group involved in aggression in Syria and Ukraine, are active in Mali. France was forced to withdraw troops from the Central African Republic and in counter-terrorism operations.
At the beginning of February, Angolan President Jono Lorenzo spoke on the phone with Macron about the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and now, through this visit, he wants to deepen the relations between the two countries. The phone call also discussed the conflict in neighboring Angola in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. On this issue, the two presidents “secured the need for coordination between the various actors in the process, thus avoiding progress and any escalation,” the note stressed.
Royal visit
Meanwhile, the Spanish monarchs, Philip VI and Letizia, arrived in Angola on February 6 for a three-day visit. The Spanish King said that Angola must take the opportunity to resume development, strengthen economic and social development, and strengthen the objectives to which the Spanish government can contribute with commercial and financial support. “Angola has gone through a very difficult period in economic terms in recent years. In a context, in 2018, in a deep recession, oil prices at historic lows, due to the agreement with the International Monetary Fund and the implementation of a strict macroeconomic stabilization program, recalled Philip VI, and Angola’s health of public accounts. Highlighting progress, low inflation and a balanced balance of payments, as well as stable international reserves.
“Hardcore explorer. Extreme communicator. Professional writer. General music practitioner. Prone to fits of apathy.”