Brazil is now turning its attention back to the African continent, a strategy where ties with Angola will play a solid role, Brazilian President Lula da Silva said during his visit to the capital Luanda.
"The visit to Angola is Brazil's return to Africa. Angola will always be Brazil's fundamental gateway to the African continent and we will continue to maintain our historic relationship," Lula remarked.
The president stressed that he aims to enhance multi-sphere cooperation between the countries to make Brazil a "great partner" for Luanda. According to the leader, the "new cooperation agenda" will include such branches as strengthening agriculture and industry, scientific and technological progress, energy transition and environmental and biodiversity protection.
Lula assigned a key role in promoting trade ties to the Brazil-Angola Chamber of Commerce, designed in June, which will help launch a "new virtuous cycle of political friendship and economic partnership" between the countries.
The leader added that he sees Brazil as an assistant to Angola in carrying out an "agricultural revolution."
Apart from that, Lula noted that Brazil needs to cooperate more multilaterally with African countries, which is "in the interest of the Global South." In this regard, the Brazilian president invited Angola to participate in the G20 meetings when Brazil takes over the G-20 chairmanship from India this December.
"In the last few years Brazil treated African countries with indifference," Lula said. "Now we will correct those mistakes."
In mid-July, Lula delivered a similar speech in Cape Verde in which he declared his desire to revitalize the once good and productive relations between Brazil and Africa that developed during his first term in the 2000s.
At the time, he emphasized that Brazil can benefit Africa in many aspects, including education, industry and agriculture.