A new exhibition on the life of the First President of Angola, António Agostinho Neto, was inaugurated at the Press Club Brussels on September 10th, 2020, in the presence of the new Ambassador of Angola to Belgium, Mário de Azevedo Constantino.
The exhibition includes old photographs and books, and is part of a week of tribute to the poet and doctor, who was the first President of Angola. A cultivated man, Neto played a crucial role in the emancipation of his countrymen and women.
The exhibition, which will be on display at the Press Club Brussels until the 17th of this month (National Hero Day), portrays the different stages of António Agostinho Neto’s diplomatic political journey, which culminated with the achievement of national independence on 11 November 1975.
Present during the inauguration at Press Club was Professor Paulette Pierson-Mathy who welcomed Agostinho Neto in Brussels back in 1973. Other personalities included Mr. José Filomeno Monteiro, Ambassador of Cape Verde and Mr. Rui Tereno, Ambassador of Portugal.
Earlier that day, Ambassador Azevedo Constantino, presented his credentials to King Philippe at the Royal Palace in Brussels. Ambassador Azevedo Constantino is the thirteenth Ambassador of Angola to the Kingdom of Belgium.
During the ceremony, the King and the Ambassador addressed issues linked to the cooperation between the two countries, international issues such as conflicts on the African continent and the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ambassador shared some of his plans and challenges ahead, including his goal of placing diplomacy at the service of the economy, and improving the standard of living of thirty three million Angolans. Beyond oil, gas, diamonds and others minerals, Angola has a vast expanses of arable lands for agriculture, with a rich flora and fauna, and a vast network of rivers.
On the 8th of September, the European Union and the Republic of Angola held the fifth Ministerial meeting organised under the framework of the EU-Angola Joint Way Forward (JWF). The meeting took place by videoconference. The Joint Way Forward is a dedicated framework for dialogue and cooperation based on common interests and shared values.
The meeting was co-chaired on the EU side by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr Josep Borrell Fontelles, and on the Angolan side by the Minister for External Relations of the Republic of Angola, H.E. Mr Tete Antonio. The meeting was also attended on the EU side by the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr Valdis Dombrovskis, and on the Angolan side by the Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr. Victor Fernandes, and the State Secretary for Economy, Mr Mario Caetano.
The Ministerial talks covered a broad spectrum of political and security issues, as well as an exchange on the impact of and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and on further enhancement of bilateral cooperation, trade relations and cooperation in multilateral fora. The two sides expressed their satisfaction with the JWF as a framework, which remains relevant to a deepening partnership and responsive to the need to tackle together both existing and future challenges.
