Lisbon - Angola's ambassador to Portugal, Maria de Jesus Ferreira, stated this Tuesday in Lisbon that to honour the memory of the country's first President, António Agostinho Neto, is to participate in the collective effort for the country's aggrandizement.
Maria de Jesus Ferreira spoke during the laying of a wreath on the bust of Agostinho Neto, on the occasion of September 17th, National Hero's Day (Neto’s birthdate).
"We are gathered here today to pay our tribute to Dr. António Agostinho Neto, founder of the Angolan Nation and, therefore, a unique figure in our History", she emphasized.
For her, as it is customary every year, this time the 17th of September could not fail to be marked in Portugal, the country where Agostinho Neto graduated and developed political activity and from where he went into exile in Morocco.
She considered it to be a simple tribute but "full of a symbolism that obliges us to respect those who were the heroes and, with them, all those who fought so that Angola could today be free, independent and, therefore, able to decide its own future”.
"This year, for cyclical reasons that we all know, the 17th of September – whose program of celebrations extends until the 25th – will not have the pomp of previous celebrations, but if President Agostinho Neto were alive, he would be the first to understand the situation and apply what was one of his main governance mottos, that is first and foremost the focus on “solving People’s problems”, she said.
This, she explained, is what the Executive, under the leadership of President João Lourenço, has been doing, giving primacy to the interests of the people.
After placing flowers on the bust, a visit was made to the exhibition depicting the life and work of António Agostinho Neto, on display at the Embassy of Angola in Portugal until the 25th of the current month.
EJM/VIC/CF/jmc
