The ambassador of the United States of America (USA) to Angola, Tulinabo Mushingi, last week in Luanda, highlighted Angola’s role in stabilizing the Great Lakes Region and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
In an exclusive interview with ANGOP, the diplomat said that the efforts of Angolan President João Lourenço are essential for maintaining peace and security in Central Africa, the Great Lakes and SADC.
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In May this year, President João Lourenço was honoured with the title of Champion of Peace and Reconciliation by the African Union (AU). The title is the result of Angola’s efforts at the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in the search for peace, dialogue and stability in various countries on the African continent.
He added that Angola, in particular, and African countries, in general, can continue to count on the support and partnership of the United States of America to face the current challenges.
During the interview, he also spoke about cooperation between Angola and the US, highlighting investments in the renewable energy sector, currently valued at USD 900 million.
He also highlighted investments in the construction of road infrastructure (metal bridges), valued at USD 360 million, and the USD 250 million made available by a consortium for the development of the Lobito Corridor in Benguela province.
Elsewhere, Tulinabo Mushingi expressed satisfaction at the results achieved by Angola in the context of economic reforms, and said that the US would continue to work to attract investors to the Angolan market.
The diplomat also highlighted the Angolan government’s efforts to combat corruption, strengthen transparency and good governance, and said that these were clear signs of an improvement in the living conditions of Angolans, although he recognized that there was still a long way to go.
Tulinabo Mushingi pointed to health, security, fishing, good governance, two-way exchange and renewable energies, among others, as priority areas for strategic cooperation with Angola.
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In the ambassador’s view, the aim of American investment is to guarantee an improvement in the conditions of Angolans, to share US experience and to promote the basic principles of good governance (guaranteeing human rights, freedom of the press and promoting the empowerment of women and young people).
Angola and the United States of America established formal diplomatic relations in 1993.
Angola is the US’s third largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly due to oil exports. The two countries co-operate in various fields, with an emphasis on trade, finance, energy, manufacturing, security, health and justice.
