Luanda, ANGOLA, August 12 - Angolan head of State João Lourenço is due to attend the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in Windhoek, Namibia, this month (August). ,

 

The information was released by the Foreign Minister, Manuel Augusto, on Friday

 

The Angolan top diplomat was speaking during a press conference, underlining that João Lourenço will participate in the event for the first time as President of the Republic.

 

The event is expected to address issues related to the regional body, with stress to the decision to transform the SADC Parliamentary Forum into the Regional Parliament.

 

The Parliamentary Forum was established in 1997 at the 17th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community, held in Blantyre, Malawi.

 

According to Manuel Augusto, the National Assembly Speaker, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, current SADC Parliamentary Forum leader, will present arguments on the transformation of the institution into regional Forum.

 

The official said that the Windhoek meeting will definitely endorse the decision on March 23 (Battle of Cuito Cuanavale), to become Southern Africa Liberation Day.

 

Still, under the president’s diplomatic agenda, the Foreign minister also announced the official visit of João Lourenço on 22nd of this month to Germany, at the invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

 

He also announced the participation of President João Lourenço at the China / Africa Economic Forum in Beijing between 03 and 04 September, also  at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

 

The Foreign Minister also announced the arrival in Angola of the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, on 17 - 19 September, as part of bilateral cooperation relations.

 

He also announced the participation of João Lourenço, for the first time as Head of State, at the 73rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, scheduled to begin on 22 September.

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