João Lourenço starts visit to Japan

 Tokyo - The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, arrived Sunday in Tokyo, Japan, for an official visit from 12 to 15 of this month, at the invitation of the authorities of that Asian nation.

In Japan, besides high-level meetings in Tokyo, President Lourenço, who arrived accompanied by the First Lady of the Republic, Ana Dias Lourenço, will take part in a Japan-Angola business forum, on Monday (13). 

 

According to the president’s press secretary, while in Japan, part of the programme of João Lourenço´s visit will be work in the cities of Nagoya e Kyoto for cultural and protocol activities.

 

Cooperation between Angola and Japan

 

Angola and Japan intend to increase cooperation in the political, economic and cultural areas, mainly in the industrialization process and in overcoming challenges in the areas of agriculture and agribusiness development, oil and mining.

 

Bilateral cooperation began in 1988 as Emergency Aid, through UNICEF.

 

After the end of the war in Angola in 2002, Japan began to provide assistance in mine clearance and social reintegration of former soldiers and refugees.

 

Within the framework of Angola´s national reconstruction, Japan has provided assistance through international organisations in terms of food aid and assistance to farmers and people living in poverty.

 

Japan´s support extends to assistance for the repatriation of refugees, water supply facilities, primary school construction, communication network and ports.

 

In the health sector, since 1996, Japan has donated USD 40 million for the facelift of the Josina Machel Hospital in Luanda, which is a reference in the country.

 

In the field of economic co-operation, in recent years, the knowledge and experience of Japan has been used in the development of rice cultivation and in vocational training.

 

Located in the Far East and known as the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan is made up of an archipelago formed by the islands of Kyushu, Honishu, Honshi Shikoku and Hokkaido. It is an island country in the Pacific Ocean and has dense cities, imperial palaces, mountainous national parks, as well as thousands of shrines and temples.