Angola and Congo exempt visas on diplomatic, service passports

Cabinda - The Angolan State has approved the visa waiver agreement on diplomatic and service passports signed between Angola and the Republic of Congo, as part of the strengthening of bilateral cooperation regarding joint migratory measures.

The information was provided Saturday, in the city of Cabinda, by the Angolan Foreign Affairs minister, Teté António, during the opening of the Bilateral Ministerial Meeting on Defence, Security and Border Management between both countries.

The Angolan official said that the meeting held in Cabinda took place at a time when Angola is preparing to host the IV Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to take place in August this year, where issues related to the military, economic and social, political and security situation in the sub-region will be addressed.

Téte António recalled that the diplomatic and political relations between Angola and the Republic of Congo were made official in 1976 and currently there is a great enthusiasm, interest and willingness of the two countries to work to strengthen and expand cooperation in different areas of common interest.

The minister said also that on September 24, 1976, the historic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation was signed by the two founding Presidents, Agostinho Neto and Marien Nguabi, which made possible the signing of a number of important agreements that establish a strong and indispensable legal basis for cooperation between the two countries.

The minister also said that on September 24, 1976, the historic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation was signed by the two founding Presidents, Agostinho Neto and Marien Nguabi, which enabled the signing of a series of important agreements that establish a strong and indispensable legal basis for cooperation between the two countries.

"There are strong historical ties between Angola and Congo, ranging from cultural and ethno-linguistic, as well as a full identity of views dating back to the early days of the National Liberation Struggle”, he said.

Teté António also highlighted the good neighbourly relations between the two peoples and governments, given the fact that they share a vast common border with more than 200 kilometres, which imposes a need for the two countries to continue to cooperate in the most varied areas, with a view to protecting common interests.

In this regard, he informed that during the 8th session of the Congo and Angola Bilateral Commission, held in the city of Brazzaville in April of this year, the Angolan side submitted to the Congolese side for consideration a draft agreement for the establishment of a Permanent Joint Commission on Defence and Security between the two countries.             

The mentioned commission constitutes a privileged forum for the approach of points of mutual interest in the field of defence, state security and public safety.

"Thus, it is of every benefit that the parties make the necessary efforts to negotiate and conclude the aforementioned agreement”, he stressed.

He revealed that this is a sensitive area that has been claiming for a broad and effective cooperation between the two countries, because many outstanding issues of common interest, defence and security lack solution and could find a speedy deliberation within the scope of the joint commission.

Regarding bilateral meetings, Teté António emphasized the political will of both governments to realize the commitment made, in order to build and leverage the excellent relations, especially in this important area for both countries.

"On this occasion, we will try to identify models of intensified cooperation between the two countries, in order to prevent, preserve, control, and defend the security of the common border, joining efforts in the fight against illegal immigration, regulating the migratory flow, fighting the traffic of drugs and human beings, the fight against terrorism and environmental crimes that affect the communities”, he stressed.

He warned the defence and security bodies of both countries that, despite the operational measures taken by their defence and security bodies, related to the field of border crime prevention, security along the common border requires some some special care.

Téte António highlighted that, in recent times, there has been a reduction in crimes along the common border, as a result of the measures that the operational bodies have developed and in this scope, it is urgent to improve the definition of a baseline of the border, the adjustment of the frequency of meetings of the defence and security bodies and the joint operations and the fight against illegal immigration.

Highlighted commitment of the experts

As the chairman of the event, Angola's Interior minister, Eugénio Laborinho, at the bilateral meeting's closing ceremony, highlighted the commitment of experts from both countries for the consensual way in which they discussed the themes related to defence, security and border management, during three days.

He said that the determination of the experts demonstrates the mutual interest of the affected bodies in the protection, defence and security of the border, the guarantee of peace and stability, and the free movement of people and goods, on both sides.

The bilateral ministerial meeting on defence and security and border management between Angola and Congo was preceded by the meeting of experts who, for three days, worked in four subcommittees on defence, public security and state security.

Meanwhile, the objective was to assess the degree of compliance with the decisions taken at the bilateral ministerial meeting in the second largest city in the Republic of the Congo of Pointe-Noire in May 2022, on the identification of border landmarks, the definitions of the land, maritime, and river border lines, the increase of joint patrols in the fight against fuel smuggling, illegal immigration, goods traffic, and the movement of strange persons along the land border. PL/AC/MRA/jmc.