Angolan Prime Minister Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos has called for the strengthening of the Association of Petroleum Producers of Africa (APPA) to make it a strategic institution, which is able to guarantee a solid union and pacification of African peoples.

Fernando da Piedade made this appeal while addressing the opening session of the 23rd Ministerial Conference of African oil producing countries, at the newly-built Talatona Conventions Center, on Friday in Luanda.

It is necessary to promote initiatives and common projects in policies and management strategies in every field of the oil industry, enabling the member countries to take out better dividends from the activities of oil exploration, said the premier.

Fernando da Piedade said that taking into account that the west coast of Africa is one of the world`s biggest places in exploration and production of hydrocarbons, it is imperious to exploit this potential in order to strengthen cooperation and economic development among these countries.

APPA, created in 1987, binds Angola, South Africa, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, the two Congos, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Nigeria and Chad.

These states account for 11% of global oil production.

Source: Xinhua