The Republic of Angola has secured the agreement of the
Swiss Confederation to restore the funds blocked by the judicial
authorities of the Canton of Geneva, which are to be used
for humanitarian projects. Joaquim António Carlos dos Reis
Júnior, Secretary of the Council of Ministers of
the Republic of Angola, and Ambassador Walter Furst, Director
of the Directorate of Development and Cooperation of the
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation,
signed an agreement to this effect on 1 November 2005.
The judicial authorities of the
Canton of Geneva had started legal action in connection with
the process of settlement of the
Republic of Angola’s
debt to the Russian
Federation, on the accusation
that during this process US$750 million was misappropriated
for the benefit of Russian and Angolan leaders. The Republic of Angola and its leaders were then subject
to accusations widely reported in the press. The
legal action started by the Genevese authorities was dropped
in December 2004, it having been found that the settlement
of the debt had given rise to no irregularities. The Republic of Angola and the Swiss Confederation, wishing to strengthen
their ties of friendship and to contribute to assistance
to vulnerable people in Angola, maintain their wish to finalise
and implement an inter-governmental agreement signed in November
2003.
In
parallel with the legal proceedings, the Swiss and Angolan
authorities had sought a political settlement of their difference
and reached a bilateral agreement on the allocation of the
funds blocked by the Genevese legal authorities – the
sum of US$21 million – to humanitarian projects in Angola.
Under the bilateral agreement signed
on 1 November 2005, these funds will be used for the humanitarian
needs of the most vulnerable people in Angolan society. The parties will jointly coordinate the
programme.
Government of Unity and National
Reconciliation of the Republic of Angola,
Luanda, 1 November 2005
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