President João Lourenco of Angola Discusses Biden’s Upcoming Visit
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President João Lourenço of Angola has worked hard to strengthen his country’s partnership with the United States and says the recent election won’t derail that.
Since taking office seven years ago, President João Lourenço of Angola has cast aside Cold War allegiances and made an aggressive push to draw his southern African nation closer to the United States.
The fruits of those efforts will be on display next week when President Biden becomes the first sitting U.S. leader to visit Angola, an oil-rich country on the Atlantic Ocean.
The visit is largely meant to draw attention to Mr. Biden’s signature effort in Africa: investment in an 800-mile railway known as the Lobito Corridor that U.S. officials say will transport minerals needed for clean energy, attract private investment and spark broader development in Angola. It’s also an effort to counter the influence of China, which has been heavily invested in Angola for years.
During an interview at the presidential palace in the capital, Luanda, Mr. Lourenço discussed his hopes for the visit with Mr. Biden and what he expects to happen when President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office next year.
The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Clearly, you are making an effort to reach out and draw closer to the United States. Why?
We want to have U.S. investment coming to Angola and also having the U.S. market as a destination of Angolan investment. And for such, of course, we need to take this step.