Angola and Portugal sign cooperation agreements in 13 areas

LUANDA, Angola

Angolan President, João Lourenço, signed a series of new bilateral cooperation agreements with Portugal’s Prime Minister, António Costa, during a two-day state visit by the Premier to Angola’s capital city of Luanda.

President Lourenço received Prime Minister Costa on 5 June at the Presidential Palace in Luanda.

During the two-day visit, talks between delegations of the two countries resulted in the signing of 13 agreements, including a Strategic Cooperation Program 2023-2027 and the reinforcement of the Portugal-Angola credit line from $1.6 to $2.1 billion.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the administrations of the Portuguese ports of Sines and the Algarve and the Angolan Barra do Dande Development Society was also signed.

“What we need is to increase Portuguese investment in Angola wherever possible,” stated President Lourenço, adding, “I have to say that we sensed a great willingness to collaborate on the part of the Portuguese justice system, with whom we were able to exchange not only information, but also the alignment of Angola’s anti-corruption strategy, and to say that in principle, everything that was asked of the Portuguese authorities so that we could find the right correspondent.”

Poised to contribute to the diversification of Angola’s economy – a stated priority by the country’s Government – the cooperation agreements are indicative of the strong presence of Portuguese companies operating in Angola and the ongoing strength of Luso-Angolan relations.

According to Prime Minister Costa, the visit represents “a concrete mark of the strengthening of cooperation between two friendly countries at a very high moment in Portuguese-Angolan relations,” and will serve to “respond to President João Lourenço’s ambition for Portugal to contribute to the diversification of the Angolan economy.”

The Angolan delegation featured the participation of the country’s Ministers of Finance, Fernando Medina; of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho; of Economy, António Costa Silva; of Agriculture, Maria do Céu Antunes; and by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Francis Andre.

With activities ranging from energy, telecommunications, banking, engineering and construction, agro-industry, tourism, and education, Portugal serves as one of Angola’s most important international partners. Over the past three years, exports from Angola to Portugal represented a total $1.2 million, while imports represented a total $4.5 million. - Africa