Luanda, May 16, 2025 (Lusa) - The Mozambican president on Friday thanked his counterpart and "brother" João Lourenço for Angola's support when he ran for president last year, emphasising that he felt the “warmth”, "friendship" and support of Angolans at all levels.
Daniel Chapo, who arrived in Luanda today, said that it was ‘an honour’ to make this visit to the ‘Atlantic brothers’ after the October 2024 elections, stressing that it was part of the closer relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries ‘that go back to before independence’.
Emphasising that the two peoples are also ‘brothers’ in the struggle for independence that they achieved in the same year (1975), Chapo pointed out that the 50th anniversary of independence, which is being celebrated this year, is also a time to evaluate the relations of cooperation and friendship over these 50 years and to renew that friendship and cooperation.
Addressing his ‘brother’ João Lourenço, the Mozambican head of state thanked Angolans for the support he received during his candidacy.
"We shouldn't be indifferent, after the inauguration period, if we didn't respond positively to the invitation to come and thank the Angolan people and also take this opportunity to once again say that we have felt this support in various ways. Politically, socially, economically, but also in terms of the Defence and Security Forces," said Daniel Chapo.
Referring to the problem of terrorism that continues to affect the province of Cabo Delgado (northern Mozambique), Chapo said that the country has received support from organisations in the region, such as the Southern African Development Community (EIS), but also on issues related to transport and logistics and within the scope of bilateral agreements between the two countries.
"We also felt that, in addition to political co-operation, which is excellent, there is also an extraordinary relationship between our two peoples in social terms. We thought it was important to come to Angola to strengthen our economic relations even more, because, as you said very well, today the great objective we have as countries, Mozambique and Angola, is to create better living conditions for our populations," Chapo told João Lourenço, affirming that "there is no better thing than for two brotherly peoples to work together, to grow together and develop together."
The President of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, began a two-day visit to Angola today to strengthen bilateral relations and identify opportunities for investment and economic co-operation.
In addition to the meeting with João Lourenço, part of Daniel Chapo's programme is a trip to the Luanda-Bengo Special Economic Zone (ZEE), to identify "investment and business opportunities to be developed in Angola", and participation in a dinner in his honour promoted by the Angolan Banking Association (ABANC).
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