State visit · 21 October 2023
• Your Excellency, João Manuel Goncalves Lorenco, • President of the Republic of Angola, • Honourable Members of Delegation, • Distinguished Guests, • Good afternoon;
I take this opportunity to welcome Your Excellency and your delegation to Kenya. On behalf of the Government and people of Kenya, please feel at home.
This visit affirms the cordial relations between Kenya and Angola, and our shared desire to deepen the bonds of friendship between our two nations. Kenya considers Angola one of her most dependable and strategic allies on the continent.
This State Visit was preceded by a meeting of officials by the two governments for the Inaugural Session of the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) between Kenya and Angola from October 16 to 18, 2023. The JCC accorded the two countries an opportunity to deliberate on issues of mutual interest and review the implementation status of the bilateral instruments that will further strengthen the existing cooperation between our two countries.
President Lourenço also graciously honored Kenya as chief guest at the MASHUJAA DAY and was represented by the Foreign minister of Angola Tete Antonio at the national celebrations held in Kericho County yesterday, October 20, 2023.
We reaffirmed our commitment to continue developing bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture, forestry, capacity development in the public service and transport and communications, among others.
I am happy to inform you that President Lourenço and I have witnessed the signing of 11 bilateral legal instruments on wildlife management and conservation, shipping and maritime cooperation, youth development, forestry cooperation and bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector.
Other MOUs are on telecommunications and ICT, oil and gas, mining and geology, health collaboration, capacity building of the Public Service and cooperation of our respective diplomatic academies. These frameworks will unlock the potential of our commercial and trade relations.
President Lourenço and I agree on the need to ensure the improvement of people-to-people interaction as well as trade and investment between Kenya and Angola. Consequently, Kenya has waived visa requirements for all nationals of Angola with immediate effect.
We have also directed our respective ministers responsible for Transport to expedite and conclude discussions on the resumption of direct flights between Kenya and Angola.
We underscore the need to maintain peace, security and stability in the Great Lakes Region and the continent as a whole. Our two countries have collaborated effectively under the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. We also affirmed our commitment to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and to reject unconstitutional changes of governments as well as interference in the domestic political processes of African countries by external forces.
President Lourenço and I acknowledge the active role played by our countries in addressing the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo through the Luanda Roadmap and the EACLed Nairobi Process.
We are concerned about the impact of the ongoing conflict in Sudan and urge the warring parties to immediately stop the war and engage in a peaceful democratic transition through an inclusive political process.
Angola and Kenya are concerned over the proliferation of conflicts in Africa and beyond. We call for urgent reforms of the United Nations, especially the Security Council, to make it more representative, accountable, effective and responsive to the world’s geographical realities.
Kenya will support Angola’s candidature for chairmanship of the African Union based on Angola’s endorsement by SADC.
During our talks, I commended President Lourenco for Angola’s leadership of the African Caribbean Pacific countries. Under Angola's chairmanship of the bloc, significant strides have been made and continue to be achieved.
We also acknowledge the United Nations Security Council’s Resolution 2699, which mandates the deployment of a Multinational Security Support Mission for Haiti. I thank you, my brother, for commending Kenya for accepting to lead the multinational security mission to Haiti.
On climate change, we acknowledged that Kenya and Angola have suffered severe effects of this existential phenomenon. We affirmed the resolutions that were reached at the Africa Climate Summit last month and agreed to work together under the framework of the African Union and the United Nations, ahead of COP28 in Dubai beginning next month, to ensure that Africa makes its full contribution on this very crucial issue.
Once again, I thank Your Excellency for honouring our country with your visit. Thank you. God Bless you.