João Lourenço, president of Angola.

President João Lourenço of Angola, currently leading the African Union (AU), stated today that Africa seeks partnerships that respect the sovereignty of its nations and prioritize local content.

Luanda.- During the opening of the debates at the 17th United States-Africa Business Summit, taking place in Luanda from June 22 to 25, the president emphasized that the continent needs partners who can facilitate knowledge transfer and help create qualified jobs, rather than focusing on capital investment.

In the presence of heads of state and government, politicians, diplomats, investors, bankers, traders, and entrepreneurs, Lourenço insisted that the forum should be a space for building an economic paradigm based on strategic partnership with reciprocal advantages.

“We would like to see U.S. private direct investment in our continent not only limited to the extraction of conventional and rare mineral resources and the oil and gas energy sector, but also interested in other types of industries,” the president said.

In this regard, he mentioned manufacturing, iron and steel, cement production, agriculture, shipbuilding, automotive, and tourism. (PL)