9th Edition - Embassy of Angola in the UK
Transcription
9th Edition - Embassy of Angola in the UK
MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 1 2 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 “In the name of the Angolan people, before Africa and the world, I declare the independence of Angola” Dr António Agostinho Neto, founder and father of the Angolan nation WEZA 09 - Nov/Dec 2013 Director: Embaixador Miguel Neto Editor & Proofreading: António Nascimento Photography: Quim Mbaya Translation: Marga Holness Graphic Design: Kassim Design Copies: 2000 exemplares Printer: Capital Printers Graphic Execution: Press Office of the Embassy Email: press@angola.org.uk Website: www.angola.org.uk Address: 22 Dorset Street London W1U 6QY United Kingdom Tel: 020-72999850 Fax: 020-79354960 3 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 António Agostinho Neto: a convinced patriot and the greatest poet of Angolan-ness Members of the first Government of the People’s Republic of Angola O n the day of the Founder of the Nation and the National Hero, the Political Bureau of the majority party in Angola, the MPLA, described the late President António Agostinho Neto as ˝a convinced patriot, a politician of rare scope, the greatest poet of Angolan-ness and a perspicacious and brilliant statesman˝. The statement stresses that António Agostinho Neto was able to interpret faithfully the most legitimate of the people’s aspirations, enabling the country, under his far-sighted leadership, to win self-determination and independence, becoming the Angolan state on 11 November 1975. It goes on to say that 34 years after Neto’s death his work, teachings and historical legacy, according to which ‘the most important thing is to solve the people’s problems’, live on in the memory and practice of those continuing them, particularly his worthy successor President José Eduardo dos Santos. The Angolan government’s commitment to fulfil the legacy of António Agostinho Neto, father of the Angolan nation, requires far-reaching dialogue with young people from all social strata, to discuss their problems and find solutions, among other action, in order to make Angola grow and distribute better • Dr António Agostinho Neto with his mother and his wife Maria Eugénia 4 38 years of independence, on the road to development and prosperity REVISTA EMBAIXADA DEANGOLA ANGOLA2013 2013--N. N.09 09 MAGAZINE OFDA THE EMBASSY OF A ngola marked the 38th anniversary of its independence on 11 November with the theme: ˝Let us commemorate 11 November promoting development and social justice˝. In London the official ceremony took place in one of the hotels in the capital. Among the many guests, were leading officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, members of the diplomatic corps and the Angolan communities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The Angolan Ambassador, Miguel Gaspar Fernandes Neto, said in an address that the achievement of the country’s political independence on 11 November 1975 created the necessary conditions for strengthening patriotic feelings and Angolan nationality. He said that Angola had made a giant leap to progress and modernity, recuperating or building from scratch all the facilities needed to sustain the country’s economic and social growth. The Ambassador said the success of Angola’s economic policy had been fiscal consolidation, which started to be implemented in 2009 and which implied correct coordination between fiscal and monetary policy, more parsimonious management of public expenditure and investment in infrastructure that boosts increased competitiveness in non-oil production and the development of the national private sector. MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 5 6 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 Internationally, he stressed, Angola had reaffirmed its foreign policy of giving primacy to constitutional order and the peaceful settlement of conflicts and differences, especially in the African continent. Miguel Neto said Angola would continue to form part of African Union and SADC teams observing and following electoral processes in Africa, particularly in countries of our sub-region, giving emphasis to the new culture of democracy and the rule of law and the legitimising of power through elections. ˝Angola, he said, intends to play a major role in combating and preventing all negative and criminal phenomena and is therefore bent on strengthening maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea˝, He said the country will continue to be an active member of the African Union, SADC, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, and has put forward its candidacy for non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2015-2016. Bilaterally, the Ambassador said, Angola had excellent relations with the United Kingdom, stable relations with almost all countries in the world and mutually beneficial growing economic cooperation with many of them. As part of the festivities, the Angolan Embassy had organised an exhibition of Angolan sculpture and painting, which showed the creativity and life of different peoples and ethnic groups in Angola • MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 38th ANNIVERSARY WE COMMEMORATE 11 NOVEMBER PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 7 8 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 Angolan Diplomat Day T José Eduardo dos Santos, President of the Republic of Angola he first government of the People’s Republic of Angola was established on 12 November 1975, as was the Ministry of External Relations, through Decree No.1/75, enabling Angola to assert itself in the international community as an independent and sovereign state instituting its own institutions to uphold the foreign policy of the new country. Marking that date is a well deserved tribute to all those who selflessly contributed to the establishment of Angola’s diplomacy, particularly the first Minister of External Relations, José Eduardo dos Santos. José Eduardo dos Santos was followed by Paulo Teixeira Jorge, Afonso Van-Dúnem ˝Mbinda˝, Pedro de Castro Van-Dúnem ˝Loy˝, Venâncio de Moura, João Bernardo de Miranda, Assunção dos Anjos and now Georges Rebelo Pinto Chicoti. History recounts that since ancient Greece, the times of the city states, people concerned about the common interests, above all as regards the settlement of conflicts, were always obliged to negotiate, which is one of the main functions of diplomacy. Angola has been no exception in this respect. Its diplomatic action from that time was complex, aimed first at Angola joining the Organisation of African Unity, which happened in April 1976, and the United Nations, in December that year. Internationally, Angola’s diplomatic action played a predominant role in the political transformation of Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa • 9 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 Paulo Teixeira Jorge Georges Rebelo Pinto Chicoti, Angola’s Minister of External Relations Afonso Van-Dúnem “Mbinda” Pedro de Castro Van-Dúnem “Loy” Venâncio de Moura João Bernardo de Miranda Assunção dos Anjos 10 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 Angola seen in Dublin as country of the future Angola at the African Economic Forum in Dublin, Republic of Ireland P articipants at the 3rd AfricaRepublic of Ireland Forum held in Dublin acknowledged that Angola is country of the future whose economic potential has in recent years been projected internationally. This was noted by the 250 delegates at the forum, who included representatives of 160 Irish companies and business people from 23 African countries at an exhibition during the forum at which each country presented its economic potential, using booklets, posters, audio-visual material and other types of information. According to the participants, the Angolan economy is doing well, with robust Gross Domestic Product growth supported by a strong fiscal system, a positive balance of payments, a stable exchange rate and moderate inflation. Angola’s Ambassador to Ireland, Miguel Gaspar Fernandes Neto, gave a general; picture of Angola’s economy and business opportunities. He said Angola was now a new country, more dynamic and secure, with political, military and economic stability, and that it was experiencing the most prosperous period in its entire history. He explained that although Angola was oil and diamond producing country, the government was seeking to diversify the economy, offering incentives to encourage private investment in other sectors. The Ambassador assured those present that Angola’s political and economic stability had created excellent opportunities for investing in the country for both Angolans and foreigners. Among the African countries at the forum were Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire were attending for the first time • MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 Each country showed its economic potential 11 12 United Kingdom establishes highlevel economic partnership with Angola The British government formally launched High Level Prosperity Partnerships (HLPP) with five African countries on 19 November. Mark Simmonds, Under Secretary of State for Africa in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 T he launch was presided over by Foreign Office Minister for Africa Mark Simmonds and International Development Secretary Justine Greening, together with representatives of the governments of the five African countries–Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania. These countries, represented by Miguel Gaspar Fernandes Neto, the Angolan Ambassador, the Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire and the High Commissioners of Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania, are seen by the British government as showing the most rapid development in Africa and the most satisfactory growth of Gross Domestic Product. Mark Simmonds said in his address that the British government was impressed with the robust economic growth in Angola and that the United Kingdom welcomed opportunities for an active partnership with Angola in areas like agriculture, energy, education, capital market, financial services and mining, among other activities. He said the United Kingdom believed that with the rapid increase in the rate of GDP growth in the five countries, by 2025 the African continent could become an economic support and sustenance bastion in the world. The United Kingdom, he said, wished to take part in the development of the energy sector in Côte d’Ivoire, help to improve the agricultural system in Ghana, promote the business climate in Tanzania, where it was already involved in oil extraction, and provide all its experience in the areas of education and natural gas extraction in Mozambique. The Angolan Ambassador, Miguel Gaspar Fernandes Neto, praised the initiative of the British authorities, and spoke of the need to implement the proposals, so that the partnerships did not remain a ‘dead letter’. He said the Angolan government’s position was to raise political relations between the two countries to the highest level, so as to facilitate institutional cooperation and strengthen political relations, in order to improve the climate of business and confidence between them, ensuring reciprocal respect and mutually advantageous benefits. Areas of possible shared interest, 13 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 the Ambassador said, included agriculture, processing industry, oil and gas, geology and mining, energy, construction, science, technology, telecommunications, biotechnology, transport, education and higher education, tourism, finance, banking, health, biotechnology, information and public and private business cooperation • Mark Simmonds said in his address that the British government was impressed with the robust economic growth in Angola and that the United Kingdom welcomed opportunities for an active partnership with Angola in areas like agriculture, energy, education, capital market, financial services and mining, among other activities. Angola Mozambique Costa do Marfim Ghana Tanzânia 14 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 Talk on importance of training for oil industry T he Angolan Embassy in the United Kingdom recently organised a talk in London on the theme: ˝Importance of Training for the Oil Industry˝, especially for Angolan scholarship students based in this country of Europe. Presided over by Ambassador Miguel Gaspar Fernandes Neto, the event was to explain to students the Angolan government’s policies on personnel training and those contained in the 2013-2017 National Development Plan for Angola. The Ambassador stressed that the policy of Angolanisation of officials in the oil industry was the government priority, the necessary legal provisions having been made for the selection, protection and monitoring of nationals working in that demanding sector. The meeting was also an opportunity for the Ambassador to introduce Vicência Morais de Brito, the new Angolan Consul General to the United Kingdom • Angola is one of the major oil producing countries in the world Miguel Gaspar Fernandes Neto, Angolan Ambassador to the United Kingdom 15 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 The Ambassador stressed that the policy of Angolanisation of officials in the oil industry was the government priority, the necessary legal provisions having been made for the selection, protection and monitoring of nationals working in that demanding sector. The best ones were awarded diplomas by the educational institution Judith Bens, Executive Director of the Management to Learn company Vicência de Brito, new Consul General of Angola in the United Kingdom Angolan scholarship students in London 16 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 Angola’s currency exchanged internationally T he Angolan national currency, the Kwanza, is already circulating internationally. The kwanza is being exchanged through the Portuguese company Nova Câmbios, which makes it possible to buy and sell it in Portugal, Mozambique, Namibia and France. Nova Câmbios has therefore taken an unprecedented step in the internationalisation of the kwanza, which is now available at branches in the above countries. This is part of a company internationalisation plan called ˝let us take the Kwanza further˝. Nova Câmbios has established itself in five countries and has 83 branches, 39 in Angola, 30 in Portugal, nine in Namibia, three in France and two in Mozambique. It provides information on 40 currency exchange rates in those countries • MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 Elite Career recruits Angolan graduates for jobs in Angola Diogo José Cristiano, Consellor at the Angolan Embassy in London T he ˝Elite Career˝ Company, which specialises in locating human resources for multinational companies, held it 2nd recruitment forum in London from 22 to 24 November for Angolan graduates in the most varied fields. Leading companies operating in different sectors in Angola came to London for that weekend to interview the best Angolan candidates in Europe. Present at the forum were the representatives of eighteen leading companies operating in Angola in such sectors as natural resources, banking and finance, telecommunications, construction, logistics, consumer goods, technology, communications and IT, including totalling 90 delegates who included recruiting directors, director generals and department heads, as well as more that 300 candidates from various universities in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Portugal and Holland. Counsellor Diogo José Cristiano, who represented Ambassador Miguel Gaspar Fernandes Neto, stressed the importance of the event and the imperative need for Angolan personnel to participate in the reconstruction and development of the country • Elite Careers recruiting Angolan graduates for Angola The strength and will of the new graduates for the reconstruction and development of Angola 17 18 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 Angola holds International F ilm Festival W ith the aim of encouraging more in-depth reflection on contemporary issues, examining examples of cinema from other countries, promoting the national production of films and audio-visual material and improving it both qualitatively and quantitatively, the Ministry of Culture and the Angolan Institute of Cinema, Audio-visual and Multimedia (IACAM) held the sixth Luanda International Cinema Festival (FIC) on 21 November. The programme included a workshop in the promotion of Angolan films abroad and at international festivals, as well as well as finalising and post-production techniques for documentaries. Films produced in the last two years were screened and categorised as documentaries, short and feature films for national and international competitions. The Luanda FIC is an annual event held as part of Cultural November, aimed at promoting national cinema and contributing to a climate of interchange between Angolans and foreign partners • Pedro Ramalhoso, Director of the Angolan Cinema, Audio-Visual and Multimedia Institute 19 SHORTS MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 Angola hosts biggest sports event in its history Angola is African champion for the second consecutive time Angola recently hosted the biggest sports event in its history – the 41st Men’s Roller Hockey World Cup, held for the first time in Africa. The multi-sport centre in Luanda, visited by 12,500 people, was the venue chosen for the opening ceremony. Among the attractions of the event was a parade by more than 200 roller skaters depicting different aspects of Angolan culture. Angola won the Women’s Basketball African Championship for the second consecutive time at the Maxaquene stadium in Maputo when it beat Mozambique 64-61 Its first victory was in 2011 in the Malian capital Bamako, where it beat Senegal in the finals. Angola’s presence in two successive world basketball events will include its participation in the 2012 London Olympic Games and the next world championship scheduled to be held in Turkey in 2014. 20 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 MAGAZINE OF THE EMBASSY OF ANGOLA 2013 - N. 09 21