Luanda – At least 150 different visas are issued daily by the Portuguese Embassy in Angola, under the mobility agreement of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), signed in July 2021.
The statistics were disclosed Tuesday in Luanda by the Portuguese Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Francisco André.
Francisco André had been in Angola for a five-day visit aimed to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
The agreement on mobility among CPLP was signed during the XXVI Meeting of its Council of Ministers, held in Luanda, Angolan capital, on the 16th of July.
The deal has been in force since 1 January, 2022, in Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Portugal, Guinea-Bissau and Angola.
It is intended to promote greater mobility and circulation within the CPLP space, and recognises and safeguards the international commitments in terms of mobility that the CPLP Member States have assumed, under their respective regional integration.
In a press conference on the stock taking visit to Angola, the Portuguese Secretary of State informed that until the beginning of this year, the capacity to issue visas was 60, a number that has already been surpassed.
“From July to December 2021, as a result of changes introduced in the visa system in Luanda, the capacity to issue visas increased by around 400 percent. This still does not meet all the needs, desires and expectations of Angolan citizens who want to travel to Portugal”, said the official.
Francisco André announced that, in the near future, his country will reinforce the Embassy with human and technical resources, to improve service, in order to guarantee and ensure mobility between peoples and feed this “very special relationship” that unites Angolans and Portuguese.
Angola and Portugal have had diplomatic relations since March 9, 1976 and have a general cooperation agreement. Currently, they cooperate in the fields of culture, economy, education, teaching, scientific research, staff training, industry, oil and energy.
The two governments approved a bilateral protocol on the facilitation of national visas, in ordinary or ordinary passports.
