Belarus to help restore Angola's economy (press release by MFA press service)

Now that the civil war is over in Angola, Belarus is interested in economic restoration projects and in summit diplomatic cooperation, Deputy Foreign Minister Vassily Pugachev said when paying an official visit to Angola on April 4-6.

The visit was a "first official visit of the kind over the past seven years since Angola and Belarus established diplomatic relations". The visit coincided with the signing of a peace agreement between Angola and the UNITA squad, which ceased the 26-year civil war.

During his visit, Mr. Pugachev was received by Joao Bernardo de Miranda, the Minister of external relations, and handed over the letter of the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to the Angola's president Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

The visit also contained talks with the parliament, the Foreign ministry, the Agricultural ministry and other structures.

The Belarusian delegation held talks in the Angolan Trade and Industry Chamber, the Industrial association, the Institute of foreign investments and presented Belarusian trade and economic potential to Angolan business circles. In the course of the talks the parties discussed in detail every sphere of bilateral relations, particularly in politics, trade and economy.

The Protocol on co-operation between Foreign Ministries of both states and the Treaty on co-operation between the Trade Chambers were signed in the course of the visit.