LUANDA, Dec.16 (Xinhua) -- The deputy commander for civil-military affairs of the U.S. Africa Command (Africom) Anthony Holmes said here on Wednesday that his department hoped to reinforce the existing "extensive relations" with Angola.

Upon his arrival in Luanda on a two-day visit, the U.S. general told reporters he would meet senior civil and military officials of the African country to explore possible cooperation in the fields of security.

He said his department hoped to reinforce the existing extensive relations with Angola, particularly in the energy sector, Angola's official news agency Angop said.

The general said the US government and Africom appreciated the role Angola had been playing in the continent and in the world community as a whole.

On the possibility of establishing a U.S. military base in Angola, the commander said he has come to exchange views with the Angolan government and explore possibilities.

He said the Africom has been based in Germany's Stuttgart for historical reasons and the location of the Africom would remain unchanged for the coming years.

As the Africom's deputy commander, Holmes is responsible for the command's plans on health, humanitarian aid, demining, natural disasters, reforms in the sector of security and peacekeeping operations.

The U.S. Africom, set up in October 2007 as the sixth strategic command of the U.S. military, was based in Germany's Stuttgart, and Pentagon said it had no plans to move the Africom to the African continent in the coming years.