A very public conversation between Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and João Lourenço

"Africa has the right and the great opportunity to build a series of capacities and a series of skills to be able to develop these resources. And here we are talking about multiple sectors of economic and business activity: it has to do with infrastructure, energy, water, agriculture, technology, digitalization, etc." This was guaranteed by António Calçada de Sá, president of the Council of the Portuguese Diaspora, in an interview with SAPO , who believes that Portugal has a role to play in building and strengthening ties between the European and African continents. Especially at a time of geopolitical, geoeconomic and geostrategic uncertainty at a global level like the one we are experiencing today.

If there is anyone who can sow the seeds of this fruitful union and open doors to a unique development potential for the complex and rich reality of Africa with connections to Europe and pave the way for an alliance, it is the presidents of Portugal and Angola. The challenge makes more sense in the context of the EurAfrican Forum , which will take place on 25 and 26 July at Nova SBE, and which has adopted as its theme "Transforming Tomorrow: Building Global Partnerships to Achieve Agenda 2063". This year, SAPO is a media partner and you can follow everything here .

In a Presidents' Conversation, which is expected to be attended by a full house, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (also honorary president of the Portuguese Diaspora Council) and João Lourenço will build a dialogue on cooperation for development, fulfilling the Angolan president's agenda of economic and political diplomacy and promoting the strengthening of relations between Angola and Portugal, as well as the deepening of cooperation between Africa and Europe. "João Lourenço's presence aims to foster strategic dialogue between the two continents, exploring opportunities for joint development", explains the organization, in this eighth edition of the event promoted annually by the Portuguese Diaspora Council.

"Africa has an infinite number of resources and the lowest average age of all continents, and is the region that will grow the most in population over the next 50 years," António Calçada de Sá told SAPO. "This young population needs health, food, education and basic infrastructure. When they have these, Africa will have a boom; especially because this large youth population will have a huge appetite for new technologies, for example."

It is with this vision and the ambition of Agenda 2063 that this year's edition of the EurAfrican Forum is designed, an international contact and soft power platform, geared towards dialogue and public and private collaboration between Europe and Africa, which has already received confirmations from top figures such as the Angolan Ministers of Telecommunications, Mário Augusto Oliveira, and Transport, Ricardo Viegas d'Abreu, the Angolan Ambassador to the European Union, Rosário Bento Pais, and the President of the Aga Khan Foundation, Mohamed Azzim.

The agenda for both days is already finalized. Check it out here .