Luanda, 10 January 2008

Your Excellency the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps,Your Excellencies the Ambassadors and Chargés d’Affaires, Illustrious guests, Ladies and gentlemen.

I thank you for your presence and company at this ceremony to mark the start of the New Year.

It is for me a great pleasure to exchange impressions with you on the most outstanding events of last year and on the near future.

I think we may consider 2007 to have been a positive year, despite the worrying situations prevailing in many parts of the world.

These situations are caused by negative factors that warrant our attention and intervention, in order to change their course, if we want to build a better and safer world for all.

Terrorist acts and the great instability they are causing in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere, the struggles for power in some regions of Africa, the harmful effects in many countries of the global warming caused by the pollution of the environment by the industrialised countries, the endemic and pandemic diseases besetting underdeveloped countries and also the hunger and poverty affecting many peoples because of the unfair commercial relations between the rich and poorest countries, are all issues that should be part of the working agenda of all diplomats and political leaders and civil society, since many of them are so grave that they constitute a serious threat to international peace and security.

We are glad to see that both the African Union and the United Nations are paying special attention to the resolution of conflicts in Africa and that they are joining forces to eliminate them.

Even where the difficulties are greatest, like in Sudan, Somalia and the east of DR Congo, we are convinced that there could be positive developments if there is in fact sufficient pressure from the international community and all the parties involved achieve fair political agreements and respect them.

Action by the African Union and the international community is especially urgent in Kenya, in order to prevent the situation from deteriorating seriously and to restore order, combat fraud and defend the democratic system.

Constructive dialogue and joint decisions will make it possible to take into account the legitimate concerns and interests of all parties concerned and to find fair and lasting solutions.

The Republic of Angola therefore reaffirms its support for United Nations peace missions in general and African Union peace missions in our continent. It will continue to adhere to and speak out in favour of initiatives and action by the international community aimed at restoring and maintaining peace and stability in Africa and the world as a whole, and to promote the strengthening of understanding and cooperation among nations.

It was within this framework that the summit meeting between the European Union and Africa was held in the Portuguese capital in 2007. It was an important event because it enabled the two regions to restore dialogue, with a view to finding just solutions to problems of common interest.

We hope that the partnerships agreed at that conference are indeed put into effect, based on the principles of mutual respect, equality and reciprocal advantages.

The recent settlement of Angola’s debt to the Paris Club can be seen within the context of this desire to strengthen economic relations with European countries, making it possible for important European banks to restore financing for Angolan imports, without oil as collateral, and increasing the flow of capital to promote more rapid growth of the national economy.

However, the fact of globalisation naturally makes us see the need to diversify international relations and to accept the principle of competition, which has, in a dynamic manner, replaced the petrified concept of zones of influence that used to characterise the world.

We are therefore open to cooperation with the most industrialised countries, with so-called emergent economies like Brazil, China and India, and with African and other countries.

Diversification provides for greater democracy in international relations and should obviously be encouraged.

The Angolan government, like those of other African countries, wants to continue to conduct the destiny of its people and does not accept that its territory should be the theatre of new disputes between alien interests that lead to tension and jeopardise its legitimate desire for peace, stability and sustained development.

Angola does not wish to exclude anyone and wants to cooperate with everyone, establishing balanced partnerships that provide advantages for all parties.

I wish all those present happiness and prosperity in 2008 and please convey to your countries my wishes for peace, stability and progress.


Happy New Year!