Luanda - The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, Tuesday said that it was essential to create understandings to boost the organisation of the Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP) in the interest of the member states.
João Lourenço was speaking at the opening of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the PALOP that, among other points, should formalize the accession of the Republic of East Timor as an observer member of the PALOP Forum and Equatorial Guinea as a full member.
In his capacity as Acting President of the PALOP Forum, the President of the Republic urged unity, determination, perspicacity and firm political will, in order to transform the member countries into places of progress and welfare for all.
The Angolan Head of State suggested the regular concertation of positions, to safeguard African interests in national and international forums, in order to boost development.
In his speech, President João Lourenço said he believed that if the PALOP countries were capable of enhancing the use of the material and intellectual capacities that each of the nations possesses, they would be in a position to complement each other in areas such as education, health, defence and security.
The statesman called for the adoption of consensual strategic positions on climate issues, to avoid the formulation of decisions that condition the right to development and that affect the conditions favoured by nature.
He also spoke of the damaging impact on the African economy caused by factors such as the volatility of commodity prices and the Covid 19 pandemic.
During the meeting, which was held by videoconference, the President of the Republic asked the international partners for "a lot of understanding and solidarity" so that Africa can recover from the damages and losses caused by the global health crisis and to correct the current reality of difficult access to vaccines.
João Lourenço expressed concern over the climate of instability and permanent conflict prevailing in the continent, which aggravates the social and humanitarian dramas faced by the populations.
He focused on the situation in Mozambique, in some countries of the Great Lakes region, in Central Africa, and in the Sahel.
After valuing the solidarity between the PALOP countries in the struggle for self-determination of the African peoples against colonialism, in the achievement of freedom and sovereignty, he paid tribute to the fathers of African independences, having highlighted the ideals of building a prosperous, united, developed Africa, with a voice in the concert of nations.
