Angola and Cuba signed three memorandums of understanding in Luanda on Monday August 21 in the fields of tourism, the development of free zones and health, with the aim of solidifying bilateral relations that have lasted almost four decades and stimulating economic cooperation.
The legal instruments were signed at the Presidential Palace in the Angolan capital, in the presence of Angolan President João Lourenço and his Cuban counterpart, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, who is on his first day of an official visit to Angola.
A memorandum of understanding between the Angolan Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Cuban Ministry of Tourism was signed by the Angolan Minister of Culture and Tourism, Filipe Zau, and the Cuban ambassador to Angola, Ester Cardenas.
The memorandum of understanding between Angola’s Medicines Regulatory Agency (Armed) and Cuba’s State Control Center for Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices was signed by Armed’s director, Katila Mangueira, and by Ester Cardenas.
The memorandum of understanding for the promotion of investments between the Luanda-Bengo Special Economic Zone Development Company (ZEE) and the Office of the Mariel Special Zone of the Republic of Cuba was signed by the chairman of the ZEE board of directors, Manuel Pedro, and the Cuban ambassador to Angola.
The legal instruments were signed after a private meeting between João Lourenço and Miguel Díaz-Canel and a bilateral meeting between the Angolan and Cuban ministerial delegations.
The importance of the memorandums was highlighted on the occasion by the Angolan President and his Cuban counterpart, who agreed that they should consolidate relations between Luanda and Havana and “stimulate” economic cooperation.