Consolidate the dialogue with Ibero-American institutions and promote the integration of Angola and all Lusophone African countries into the Ibero-American System, as reported by DiplomacyNews, was the objective of the working visit that the Angolan State Secretary for Foreign Relations, Esmeralda Mendonça, carried out in Madrid on June 1.
Her agenda focused on strengthening cooperation relations between Angola and various Ibero-American organizations. An objective that is part of the global expansion of international relations that Angola has undertaken and with which it wants to promote alliances that contribute to its sustainable development and institutional strengthening.
The first meeting of State Secretary Esmeralda Mendonça took place at the Angolan Embassy itself, where she held a meeting with the Director of External Relations of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), Cristina Manzano.
In the meeting, the possibility of Angola joining the Ibero-American Organization as an Observer State was raised. Opportunities for collaboration with Ibero-American organizations and the possibilities of strengthening Angolan participation in cooperation, development, and institutional exchange initiatives promoted by SEGIB were also analyzed.
Manzano encouraged the Angolan State Secretary of State to establish contacts with a view to her participation in the Ibero-American Organization’s Summit of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for November 4 and 5 of this year in Madrid.
Subsequently, Mendonça visited the headquarters of the Ibero-American Social Security Organization (OISS), where she was received by its Secretary General, Gina Magnolia Riaño, with whom she discussed various cooperation opportunities in the field of social security and protection, training of personnel, exchange and transfer of institutional experiences, as well as strengthening public policies aimed at the well-being of citizens.
The OISS representative considered that, given Angola’s influence among Lusophone African countries, its adherence to the social security system of the Ibero-American Organization can be an important asset to revitalize the organization. It was even suggested that Angola could host the regional headquarters of the OISS, as it is currently not represented in Africa.
Later, Esmeralda Mendonça met with Frigdiano Álvaro Durántez, Director of Institutional Relations of the Ibero-American University Foundation (FUNIBER). Both studied possible areas of collaboration in training, academic mobility, and development of training programs with an impact in Angola.
“The Ibero-American System constitutes,” states the Angolan Embassy in a press release, “ua unique platform for political dialogue, technical cooperation, and multilateral articulation among the 22 Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula, and Andorra, which is distinguished by its flexibility, horizontality, and multidimensional approach.”
“The Republic of Angola,” it adds, “has been deepening its ties with the countries of Ibero-America, in recognition of the historical, cultural, and linguistic links that unite the nations of Portuguese and Spanish expression.” Therefore, “adherence to the Ibero-American System represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen Angola’s presence in the multilateral dynamics of the region and to actively participate in Programs, Initiatives, and Projects that cover priority areas such as education, health, culture, empowerment of women and girls, social security, and human mobility,” concludes the statement.
