Angola Pardons Mozambican Debt

Southern Africa: Angola Pardons Mozambican Debt

El Ministro de Negocios Extranjeros y Cooperación de Mozambique, Oldemiro Balòi, con el Ministro de Planificación y Desarrollo Territorial de Angola Jon Graça

President Filipe Nyusi told reporters on 11 November in Luanda that his Angolan counterpart, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, has assured him that half of Mozambique's debt will be written off with the Ht/pf (426)other half transformed into investment. Currently the debt stands at US$61.5 million.

Speaking at the end of his state visit to Angola, President Nyusi added that the question of suppressing entry visas between Mozambique and Angola will be solved next year.

Mozambique has signed agreements to suppress entry visas for short visits with most members of SADC (Southern African Development Community). But Angola has not yet negotiated such an agreement, despite the close historical ties between the two countries.

President Nyusi said he had discussed the question with President dos Santos, in the light of concerns expressed by the Confederation of Mozambican Business Associations (CTA). The CTA had pointed out that the current visa requirements are an obstacle to investment.

President Nyusi said his visit marked the rebirth of economic cooperation with Angola, and the agreements signed in the past will now be reviewed. "In the official talks it was also agreed that there has to be regular joint monitoring of the agreements", he said.

In his meeting with Mozambicans resident in Angola, they expressed their discontent at the difficulties in renewing Mozambican identity documents. President Nyusi hoped that this problem is about to be solved since a team from Maputo is travelling to Luanda next week to issue the Mozambican residents with biometric identity cards and passports.

Agreements were also signed between the Mozambican government's Investment Promotion Centre (CPI) and the Angolan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and between the CTA and the Corporate Governance Centre of Angola.

With the business people, said President Nyusi, it had been agreed that they should focus on agriculture as their main activity, because it is agriculture that can feed the country and reduce economic dependence.