LUANDA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Both the United States and the Angolan government have ruled out the establishment of the U.S. African Command (Africom), Angola's official news agency ANGOP reported on Thursday.

    Answering a question on the establishment of Africom in Angola after arriving in Luanda Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Africa Theresa Whelan said the United States has never requested any country to host Africom.

    What the United States wants, she added, is to deepen the existing military cooperation that has already started in the areas of maritime security and peacekeeping in Africa which will be the main topics discussed with the Angolan authorities during her two-day stay in the country.

    In his turn, Andre Mendes de Carvalho, national director of the International Relations of the Angolan Defense Ministry who welcomed Whelan and her delegation, said the Angolan government has never been approached on hosting the Africom.

    "The Angolan government has never been requested to host the headquarters of this command. So, we have never considered this possibility ... we do not host military bases as the Constitution prohibits it," he said.

    During her two-day visit to Angola, the U.S. official will meet with Angolan Defense Minister Kundi Pahama and visit the Angolan Army Headquarters, the Anthropology Museum and the Centre of Strategic Studies, among others.

    Whelan is responsible for the U.S. defense policy on Africa and has 17 years of experience in African affairs.