LUANDA, Angola 

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was welcomed by his Angolan counterpart Joao Lourenco in capital Angola on Monday with an official ceremony at the Presidential Palace.

Before the dignitaries began their talks, the national anthems of both countries were played during the ceremony.

The Turkish president also saluted the guard of honor at the ceremonial ground. After Erdogan and Lourenco introduced their delegations to each other, a gun salute was fired.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Trade Minister Mehmet Mus, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, and other Turkish officials attended the ceremony.

This trip is the first official visit from Turkey at the presidential level to Angola.

Erdogan is also expected to address Angola’s parliament. Later, he will visit the Memorial of Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto, the country’s first president who died in 1979.

The president later will attend the Angola-Turkey Business Forum organized by Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board.

Erdogan's scheduled African tour also includes Togo and Nigeria, which is considered significant for new cooperation opportunities in Africa.

​​​​​​​