The new head of Angolan diplomacy, Tete António, said today that he will continue the work that has been carried out, favoring economic diplomacy and the Angolan diaspora, as well as the reform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Diplomacy must be based on an organized and functional house to have results abroad," he said, speaking to journalists, after the formal act of passing folders with his predecessor, Manuel Augusto.

"We are aware that we are not going to inherit the world we had before covid-19, it will be a transformed world and Angolan diplomacy will also have to adapt to this world," he stressed.

A “transformed world” that does not only concern oil producers, although this sector “worries a lot” Angola, considering that it is the base of its economy.

About the 4000 Angolans who are still abroad, after Angola closed its borders to contain the pandemic, on March 20, reaffirmed that the Angolan Government “is following citizens closely, taking care of all circumstances ”That surround the covid-19.

"In this crisis, we cannot have 'standard' models for solving problems," he said.

"We are attentive to the situation," he said, without however clarifying whether there will be new flights to bring Angolan citizens back to the country.

In his speech, he left words of thanks to Manuel Augusto - of whom he was formerly Secretary of State - who said he had contributed to “putting and consolidating Angola's position at a high level in the international arena” and asked the ministry officials to continue to perform its work in the same way “in favor of maintaining the flag and good name of the Republic of Angola at a high level”.

The outgoing minister, for his part, said he left with a feeling of accomplishment, having done his “part in this relay race”, which he considered to be the one best suited to the spirit of a public servant.

The dismissal of Manuel Augusto was known on Monday through a note released by the Civil House of the President of the Republic, giving an account of the new government cast after the reduction in the number of ministries from 28 to 21.

 Who is Tete António 

He was born on January 22, 1955 in the municipality of Bembe, province of Uíge.

- Master in International Economic Relations from the University of Kiev / Ukraine
- Attended preventive diplomacy courses at Columbia University, New York
- Management, conflict resolution and mediation of the Jimmy Carter Center
- Diplomacy at the Cairo Ministry of Foreign Affairs Institute in Egypt
- United Nations Director and Practice at New York University, USA

Professional Curriculum

- Before reaching the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, he held from October 2017 to April 2019, the post of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
- He served as Representative of the African Union to the United Nations in New York, as Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the African Union Commission, as Minister Adviser to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Angola to the United Nations in New York.
- He was a member of the Angolan delegation in the Security Council (2003-2004),
- Principal Expert during the Angolan Presidency of the UN Peacebuilding Commission
- Advisor to the President of the 59th Session of the UN General Assembly (2004-2005)
- Office Director of the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs (1999-2002)
- African Union Political Observer to the Mission of Nations for the Organization of a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) based in El Aiun, Western Sahara from 1997 to 1999
- Diplomat at the Embassy of the Republic of Angola in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Permanent Mission to the African Union (19931997)
- Official of the African Union Department and Specialized Institutions of the Africa and Middle East Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- IMPORTANG official at the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Completed election observation missions by the African Union, study missions to countries out of conflict by the UN Peacebuilding Commission
- Participated in several meetings of ANU, African Union, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone of the UN Economic Commission, African Union, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Central African State Community (CEEAC) and Southern and Eastern African State Community (COMESA).

Languages

Speaks fluently and writes
Portuguese
English
French
Russian
Kikongo
Lingala and understands Spanish.