LUANDA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Angola took up the two-year rotating presidency of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on Friday, during the 8th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government held via video link.
On the occasion, Angolan President Joao Lourenco expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation with member states for the eradication of armed groups in the Great Lakes Region.
The Angolan president said that he will work to eradicate the armed groups still existing in some countries, enforce peace agreements concluded in the region, lift sanctions imposed on Burundi and an arms embargo against the Central African Republic, and combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Angola assumes the presidency of the organization at a time marked by numerous challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts that block economic and social development, Lourenco said.
Angola believes that a collective response to these challenges is needed, including concrete actions to implement the related pacts on security, stability and development in the region, he said.
The ICGLR is an inter-governmental organization of African countries in the African Great Lakes Region. It was created with an aim to resolve peace and security issues following the political conflicts that marked the region in 1994. Enditem
