Angolan Parliament Speaker Accepts Invitation to Visit Cape Verde

The announcement was made following a courtesy visit that took place prior to Janira Hopffer Almada’s policy address at the 15th Interim Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (AP-CPLP), which is being held in Lisbon.

According to the president of the Cape Verdean parliament, during the meeting an invitation was formally extended to her Angolan counterpart, Adão de Almeida, to visit the National Assembly of Cape Verde, in an initiative aimed at deepening institutional relations and boosting cooperation between the two parliaments.

“The invitation was warmly received by the president, and we have already received his prompt acceptance,” stated Janira Hopffer Almada, expressing her satisfaction with the willingness shown by the Angolan official.

As a symbolic gesture of friendship between the two countries, Janira Hopffer Almada presented the President of the National Assembly of Angola with a jersey from Cape Verde’s national soccer team, the “Blue Sharks,” as well as a replica of Cape Verde’s Declaration of Independence.

According to a post by the president of the Cape Verdean parliament on her Facebook page, the 15th Interim Session of the AP-CPLP Parliamentary Assembly is proving to be a prime opportunity to strengthen relations among the parliaments of the Portuguese-speaking community.

“This is proving to be a truly important and educational interim session… and one with tangible results,” she emphasized.

The 15th Interim Session of the CPLP Parliamentary Assembly brings together representatives from the parliaments of member states to discuss matters of common interest and promote deeper political and institutional cooperation within the Portuguese-speaking community.

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Angolan lawmakers and government officials present in parliament today highlighted the importance of the instrument in facilitating the mobility and movement of people, goods, and services within the CPLP’s geographical area.

According to Angolan Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Domingos Custódio Vieira Lopes, who presented the agreement to the plenary session, this is an agreement that will “create an environment that fosters opportunities and benefits for member states and their respective countries.”

Mobility within the CPLP “is a long-standing aspiration of the member states and constitutes an essential tool for deepening the sense of belonging and strengthening the community’s identity,” he emphasized.

The Agreement on Mobility among CPLP Member States was signed on July 17, 2021, in Luanda, during the 13th Conference of Heads of State and Government of the CPLP.

Domingos Custódio Vieira Lopes noted that the Lusophone bloc’s agreement “covers all CPLP citizens and ensures a minimum level of mobility within the community.”

“However, the mechanism adopted for this purpose must take into account the specific characteristics of each country in a wide range of areas, particularly institutional and regional integration. In certain specific cases, states may restrict or impose conditions on this mobility for reasons of national security, public health, or public order,” he emphasized.

According to the minister, by ratifying this agreement, the Republic of Angola “fulfills the commitment it made as a member state of the CPLP to contribute to the establishment of a legal framework that will provide a set of practical measures aimed at facilitating mobility within the community.”

The plenary session of the National Assembly also highlighted the importance of the agreement—which has already been ratified by Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, Brazil, Mozambique, and Cape Verde—considering it timely for the community.

It is a piece of legislation that “has significant political implications within the context of the integration of national communities into a geophysical space of cooperation,” said Alcides Sakala, a deputy from the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA, opposition) Alcides Sakala.

In the view of Alcides Sakala, who is also an expert in international relations, the establishment of the agreement “is a timely decision that will enable the building of bridges between nations and peoples with their own distinct cultures and values.”

For his part, João Pinto, a member of the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA, in power since 1975), also highlighted the importance of the agreement, noting that “we are facing a moment that Angola cannot ignore.”

“Because, when we speak of cooperation, we must always take into account the principles that gave rise to this community, which seeks to reconcile and bring together peoples from different continents,” he noted.

The unanimous approval of the agreement by the deputies was also highlighted by Domingos Custódio Vieira Lopes, who noted that several countries have already deposited their ratifications with the CPLP’s executive secretariat.

Angola and Portugal “have already signed a visa facilitation agreement; therefore, we have already taken a concrete step to ensure that this instrument effectively fulfills its intended purpose,” the minister further emphasized.

Angola currently holds the rotating presidency of the CPLP.

Lusa