Angola, Namibia to strengthen relationship

NAMIBIA and Angola are to hold the inaugural session of the two countries’ Bi-National Commission (BNC) later this year.

The session will follow on the twenty-first bilateral meeting of the two countries’ interior ministries, which took place in Lubango, Angola, in April this year.

Presidential press secretary Alfredo Hengari in a media statement on Sunday said the BNC was discussed by president Hage Geingob and Angolan president João Lourenco during a visit by Geingob to Angola over the past weekend.

Geingob also attended the thirteenth conference of heads of state of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) in Luanda.

The CPLP is a multi-regional organisation created in 1996, comprising Angola, Brazil, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor and Portugal.

Namibia is one of 19 associate observers, including countries like the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Italy and Senegal, of the organisation. Namibia attained observer status in July 2014.

“Namibia applied for CPLP observer status to further enrich bilateral and multilateral relations by strengthening diplomatic, economic, social and cultural ties with Portuguese-speaking countries,” the Presidency’s statement reads.

Addressing the conference on Saturday, Geingob said the values of international cooperation and multilateralism which underpin the CPLP are fundamental for the promotion and strengthening of peace and security and socio-economic development.

Highlighting the importance of unity, Geingob stated: “For it is unity that will bring about a world free from poverty and hunger, it is unity that will guarantee our peace and security, and it is unity that will deliver the promise of economic development and prosperity.”

During the same visit, Namibia signed a framework agreement on cooperation with Sao Tome and Principe, which enables the two countries to solidify cooperation in the diplomatic, economic and social fields.

Geingob also positioned the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board to participate in the CPLP’s trade and investment promotion agencies.