SPEECH
BY SHRI K.R. NARAYANAN, PRESIDENT OF INDIA, WHILE ACCEPTING CREDENTIALS FROM
MRS. ANA MARIA TELES CARREIRA, AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA
NEW DELHI, APRIL 30, 2001
Excellency,
It
is with great pleasure that I welcome you today as the second Ambassador
of the Republic of Angola to India.
Indo-Angolan
bilateral relations pre-date Angola’s independence. During Angola’s freedom
struggle, India not only supported the movement but also provided material
help and scholarships for Angolan students. After the liberation, we had
actively participated in the peace process in Angola by contributing peace-keepers
and police personnel to the UN Observer Mission for Angola (MONUA). We
hope that with the recent successes of the Angolan Government in its military
campaign against the rebel forces, a lasting peace would soon return to
Angola, bringing with it political, economic and social stability.
Madam
Ambassador, we in India extend our good wishes to His Excellency President
Jose Eduardo dos Santos in his efforts to promote rapid socio-economic
transformation in Angola. We are aware that Angola is endowed with vast
natural resources and has great potential for growth. We stand ready to
share with the Government and people of Angola our developmental experiences
in the areas of small and medium enterprises, pharmaceuticals, agriculture
as well as in the frontier areas of science and technology and information
technology. Indeed, the time has come now to give much greater economic
content to our relationship so as to build upon the strong foundations
of our close and cordial political relationship. The setting up of a Joint
Commission to oversee this greater intensification of economic interaction
would be, I believe, an important step forward.
Excellency,
we greatly appreciate Angola’s continuous support to India on issues of
vital concern to us. We look forward to the visit of the Foreign Minister
of Angola Mr. Joao Darnarto ta Miranda to India to continue the process
of dialogue and consultations between our two countries for the mutual
benefit of our peoples and in pursuance of our joint endeavour to create
a just and equitable new world order.
I
wish Your Excellency an enjoyable and successful term of office in India.
I take this opportunity to extend my Government’s fullest co-operation
to your efforts to further cement the time-tested friendship between our
two countries. I also take this opportunity to convey my warmest greetings
and those of the Government and people of India to His Excellency Mr.
Jose Eduardo dos Santos, the President and the friendly people of Angola.
Thank you
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