Dear compatriots,
I am addressing
myself to the whole community, with special emphasis on
the Angolan community, to express warm congratulations
on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of National
Independence, which was proclaimed on 11 November 1975
by President António Agostinho Neto. I am doing so
by means of our website, because I arrived on the eve
of 11 November to assume my new duties as Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola to
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
11 November 1975, which is an indefeasible symbol
in Angola’s
history, was the culmination of the many sacrifices made
by thousands of men and women who were able to interpret
the most profound and legitimate longings of a whole
people, in the struggle for dignity and to win back their
own national identity and sovereignty. Today, now that definitive peace
has been achieved, with the same determination with which
independence was won, Angolans are rolling up their sleeves
and embarking on the struggle to rebuild the country,
consolidate democracy and strengthen national reconciliation.
One of the Government’s
great challenges is the fight against poverty, for which
it has adopted a strategy aimed at improving the living
conditions of the most needy and vulnerable Angolans, motivating
them to take an active part in the economic and social
development process.
Angola is now
experiencing a climate of macroeconomic stability, as
shown by the new era of economic growth; it is expected
that the real growth rate of Gross Domestic Product will
be about 27.9 percent in 2006. This growth, apart from being supported by increased
oil production, is also sustained by the significant
growth of the non-oil economy, particularly in the areas
of diamond mining, construction, agriculture, forestry
and fisheries, as well as processing industry and the
electric power sector.
Economic
results in Angola from 2003 to 2005 are regarded
as very positive, if we consider that less than four
years after the signing of the peace agreement in 2002
tremendous progress has been achieved in respect of economic
stability, with a significant reduction in the monthly
inflation rate and a balanced exchange rate. As a result of the stability registered in the
country, the 2006 general state budget, amounting to
an estimated US$23.9 billion, gives priority to the social
sector, which means that Angolans will very soon feel
the effects of peace and economic growth.
As
you are aware, the periodic legitimisation
of state bodies is one of the indispensable aspects
of democracy, which is why the Government and its partners
have been making every effort to create conditions
ensuring that the next elections take place in a free, transparent,
participatory and comprehensive manner. Dear compatriots,
Immediately
after being sworn in on 28 September I said that our
work in the United Kingdom would
be different, since there is a big Angolan community
in this country, and I would therefore be able to count
on everyone’s support for the success of my mission,
including the support of the Angolan community living
here. Having said that, I again
appeal to all compatriots, asking that we work together,
shoulder to shoulder, to dignify the name of Angola in every part of this magnificent
country and, at the same time, cultivate the principle
of dialogue based on difference, respect and alternating
political power.
We
are also going to work hard to make full use of national
human resources, promoting access to employment and
self-employment and giving fresh impetus to the labour
market. To this end, we express
our commitment to making full use of Angolans trained in
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
ensuring that they obtain the jobs they merit in the country
that awaits them. We
shall make every effort to ensure that this happens. But
more participation by the community in implementing Government
programmes is needed. We
shall continue to give priority to defending all Angolans,
without distinction, principally as regards those who – for
different reasons – immigrated to the
United Kingdom and
are now living here in irregular circumstances, making
sure that they are properly treated if they are repatriated. In short, and to quote
the words of H E the President of the Republic, José Eduardo
dos Santos: ‘Irrespective of the ideas, beliefs or party
affiliation of each person, everyone is called upon to
join forces to build a better
Angola for all. This is the
time to unite what was separated for so long and to renew
our combined efforts to achieve our great shared national
objectives. The country is ours and it is, first
and foremost, we who must make it advance, making full
use of all its enormous human and material potential.’
Compatriots and brothers
and sisters, let us make the 30th Anniversary
of Independence a time of deep and joyful reflection on
the contribution that every Angolan should make to the
consolidation of peace, national unity, democracy, the
rule of law and economic and social reconstruction and
development. Long
live Angola! |
