Angolan President João Lourenço is in Cuba for a two-day official visit to the country, during which he will hold bilateral talks with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel.

President Lourenço left Luanda on Saturday, and will be meeting his Cuban counterpart for the second time in 10 months. The two leaders met in September 2018 on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

A statement from the Angolan presidency said the trip will focus on enhancing cooperation between Angola and Cuba on various sectors.

President Lourenço is expected to begin his official duty on Monday with visit to the Cemetery of Colón to pay tribute to Cuban fighters who lost their lives in Angola during the civil war.

He will then hold a conference at the University of Havana, before later holding talks with Cuban authorities, which is expected to culminate in the signing of a raft of agreements between the two countries.

He will wrap the day up with a visit to the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, well known for its advanced research in areas such as cancer cure.

On Tuesday, the Angolan leader will visit the special port area of development of Mariel on the outskirts of Havana, before meeting with Angolan students studying in Cuba.

The Cuba visit falls in line with President Lourenço’s agenda to forge stronger ties with the international community. He has previously visited among other countries, China, France, Germany, Portugal and South Africa.

Angola and Cuba have enjoyed strong diplomatic relations for years, and the visit by President Lourenço is expected to affirm this friendship.