Kyoto – The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, Wednesday advocated the increase of cooperation with Japan in the economic, cultural and tourism fields, within the framework of reciprocal advantages.

In a statement after a meeting with the governor of Kyoto, Takatoshi Nishiwaki, the Angolan president noted the modernism and economic development of Japan, a country considered to be the world’s third biggest economy.

In the brief speech in Kyoto, a millenary city and of strong cultural traces, the Head of State stressed that the strength of a people resides in its history and culture, having added that “the Japanese are a strong people because, throughout the centuries, they have been able to keep their traditions alive”.

In Kyoto, where the Angolan President ended his four-day official visit to the Land of the Rising Sun, besides visiting the Imperial Palace, he participated in a Japanese people ritual, which consists in drinking a local tea, accompanied by the First Lady, Ana Dias Lourenço.

Governor defends partnership

After a meeting with the Angolan Head of State, the Governor of Kyoto, Takatoshi Nishiwaki, defended the need for a strategic partnership with Angola and noted the country’s potential in the mining, agricultural, fishing and tourism sectors, adding that cooperation links with the African country had become increasingly close since the creation of an Angolan honorary consulate in Kyoto in 2021.

Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu, famous for its many classical Buddhist temples, gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. It is also known for its formal traditions, such as the kaiseki dinner, with several specific dishes and it is located about 470 kilometres off Tokyo City.

According to President João Lourenço’s schedule, he is expected to leave the city of Kyoto this Wednesday, returning to Luanda with a stopover in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)