Govt set to reopen embassy in Angola to boost business, economic relations

The government plans to reopen its previously closed down embassy in Luanda, Angola, a move that will strengthen business and economic links as well as consolidate the friendly diplomatic relations between the two countries.

This was revealed recently by Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation minister Bernard Membe at an occasion to mark the 39th anniversary of the independence of Angola. 

“We intend to reopen the embassy there because we have seen how Angola’s economy has been growing at a reasonably high speed and the people’s wellbeing is improving after the more than two decades civil war,” he said.

“We are still waiting for the response from Angolan government to hand over the building that is now used by Angolan citizens,” he said.

Between 1990 and 1992 Tanzania closed down a number of its embassies including that in Luanda, Angola, due to financial constraints.

Recently, Angola has transformed its economy faster to catch up with the changing realities. The government has already embarked on infrastructure development programme to build more than 350 houses in four years, improve health as well as education services.

Coming out of the economic crisis in 2009, Angola’s GDP grew by an estimated 8.1 percent in 2012, achievements attributed partly to the able and visionary leadership of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

“We in Tanzania salute the government of Angola for the remarkable achievements and this has served as a catalyst in the push for our own development ambitions,” he said.

Tanzania and Angola enjoy excellent diplomatic relations which have been built on a solid foundation forged by the founding fathers, the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and the late Augustino Neto.

“These strong relations have been strengthened by the subsequent generation of the visionary leadership in our brotherly countries,” he said.
Today our two countries continue to cooperate in many fronts both bilaterally and multilaterally,” he added.

Apart from that, cooperation between Tanzania and Angola is multifaceted and covers many sectors that include trade, agriculture, investment, peace and security, healthy and capacity building.

SOURCE:IPPMEDIA

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