Russian Foreign Minister Invites Angolan Counterpart To Visit Russia

The Russian Foreign Ministry's press department announced on Friday that while on a trip to Angola, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov had invited his Angolan counterpart Joao Bernardo de Miranda to make an official visit to Russia. The ministry pointed out that the invitation had been welcomed and accepted, although a date has not yet been set. Igor Ivanov was accepted by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos to whom he gave a personal message from Vladimir Putin. The letter concerned the main areas of and prospects for the development of Russo-Angolan ties both in the political and trade-economic spheres, as well as Russia's future role in settling problems in Africa. The Russian and Angolan ministers also conducted official talks. A RIA Novosti correspondent reports from Luanda that Ivanov announced upon their conclusion that Russia and Angola would sign a series of documents in the near future. These will include an agreement on the mutual protection and encouragement of investments, a document on an end to dual taxation and one on co-operation in the realm of air transportation and personnel training. According to Ivanov, the priority areas of Russo-Angolan co-operation lay in interaction in the diamond sphere, as well as energy, fishing and military-technical co-operation. Ivanov said that the sides could make real progress in the interests of both their countries in theses areas. One of the first tasks, the sides believe, is to hold as soon as possible a session of the bilateral interstate commission on economic and science-technology co-operation and trade. De Miranda expressed the hope that this session would be held "in the first months of next year."