Gaborone - Botswana’s head of State Mokqueetsi Eric Masisi Friday considered "historic" the state visit by his Angolan counterpart João Lourenço to that country on July 20- 22, 2023.
Botswana’s president made the praise while addressing a press conference that marked the end of official talks between the delegations of the two countries, as part of João Lourenço's trip.
Masisi said the president’s visit happens at a time Angola is preparing to host the next ordinary SADC summit and taking the chair of this regional organisation based in Gaborone, Botswana.
Meanwhile, he congratulated João Lourenço, who pledged to personally travel to Luanda to participate in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) summit.
He also revealed that the visit coincided with the celebration of his birthday on which he turned 61, adding, in an ironic, that João Lourenço was thus the first head of State he received as a “gift”.
He said he had agreed with his Angolan counterpart the need to launch a vast programme of bilateral collaboration, covering a large number of sectors.
Among the sectors covered for the deepening and broadening of cooperation between the two countries, he mentioned the areas of energy, with the supply of fuels; transport, health, animal reproduction and mining production.
President João Lourenço arrived in Gaborone on Thursday for a two-day state visit aimed at reviving bilateral cooperation relations.
Upon his arrival, João Lourenço was received by his host counterpart Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi, with whom he discussed the best ways to revitalise bilateral cooperation in various areas.
The two SADC member countries are determined to re-launch the bilateral relations that date back to the beginnings of Angola's independence achieved in 1975.
After the establishment of their diplomatic relations, Angola and Botswana signed, in February 2006, a general cooperation agreement that is in the process of being updated, before the signing of new legal instruments. IZ/DAN/NIC
