Luanda — Angola's first ambassador to the United States of America, José Patrício, Wednesday was optimistic about the future deepening of relations between the two countries.
Angola's current ambassador to Turkey, expressed this view while speaking to ANGOP ahead of the 30th anniversary of the recognition of Angola by the United States of America, being commemorated on Friday.
"Statistics do not lie and in view of the current progress and diversification of Angola/US ties is a source of delight and belief in a successful future," Patricio said.
The diplomat cited the Angolan Private Investment and Export Promotion Agency (AIPEX), stating that the US is today, "the first country with the largest number of cases and expressions of interest in investing in Angola and, most importantly, outside the oil sector.
In relation to the recognition of Angola by the United States, Patrício described as a difficult process, involving and conditioned many other factors in the political and military chess table that existed at the time.
"I would even say that the recognition was explored to the limit of its political sustainability and its continued postponement was already hurting the credibility of the White House, such were the calls in that direction coming from all planetary quadrants," Patricio said.
"A difficult birth, but one that gave birth to a healthy child who today celebrates 30 years in which the relations between the two States have grown and strengthened in an atmosphere of excellent expectations for the future," added the ambassador.
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Independent since November 11, 1975, Angola had to wait 17 years for recognition by the United States of America,un which only happened on May 19, 1993.
The recognition of Angola by the United States of America happened the year after the first multiparty elections in Angola, held in 1992.
José Patrício was Angola's ambassador to the United States of America from 1993 to 1994. Prior to that (since 1991), he served as Ambassador to the Organisation of American States (OAS).
From September 1994 until the end of 1999, he was ambassador to Portugal, and then represented Angola at the United Nations in 2000 and 2001.
He interrupted his diplomatic activity to join British Petroleum (BP) Angola, for a period of 10 years, as Country President, and then moved to GENIUS, an Angolan holding company.
He returned to diplomatic life in 2018, in the era of President João Lourenço, as Angola's ambassador to Turkey, until today.
Before diplomacy he worked at the National Radio of Angola (RNA) and at the Presidency of the Republic as secretary to the President for Information.
He holds a postgraduate degree in Political Marketing and Communication from the Independent University of Portugal and the Complutense University of Spain.
