Portugal’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Ana Xavier, declared on Monday, 12 October, in Luanda that Angola is an irreplaceable strategic partner for Portugal, both in bilateral relations and at the regional and multilateral levels.

On her first visit to Angola since taking office, Ana Xavier said Portugal intends to deepen cooperation with the southern African country through the next Strategic Cooperation Programme (PEC), covering the period 2027–31, in order to align with Angola’s national development priorities and plans.

According to the official, the current PEC 2023–27 has already exceeded expectations, with an execution volume of €70 million, plus an additional €187 million in credit lines. “These are figures that place a responsibility on us to approach the next PEC 2027–31 with renewed ambition,” she said, calling for a programme jointly defined by both countries.

Ana Xavier highlighted the Portuguese economic and social presence in Angola, where more than 1,250 Portuguese companies invest in areas including employment and training, while over 3,700 companies export to the Angolan market. She also cited figures showing approximately 130,000 Portuguese nationals living in Angola and more than 90,000 Angolans residing in Portugal, according to 2025 data.

Built on a partnership grounded in mutual respect and trust, the two countries aim to develop cooperation that is “more pragmatic, ambitious, and results-oriented,” Ana Xavier emphasised. A Portuguese technical mission is already being prepared to travel to Angola to assess the implementation of the current programme and lay the groundwork for the next.

Among the priority areas identified by both governments are human capital, health, training, youth, administrative modernisation, justice, agriculture, and culture. Ana Xavier also expressed gratitude for Angola’s support of Portugal’s successful bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, a mandate set to begin in 2027.

For his part, Angola’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Angolan Communities, Domingos Vieira Lopes, highlighted the “very good pace of high-level visits” between the two countries and called for stronger coordination between technical teams to identify potential obstacles and ensure concrete results for both populations. “Our proposal is that we strengthen coordination between our technical teams to quickly identify any constraints and ensure that the impact is genuinely felt by our people,” he said.

The Angolan official drew particular attention to the education sector, specifically the ‘Saber Mais’ programme supported by Portugal, which contributes to the training of Angolan teachers. He also noted Angola’s readiness to jointly inaugurate, with Portugal, the resource centre at the Escola do Magistério Mutu Ya Kevela, financed by the Camões Institute. “On our side there is full availability — we will coordinate with the Ministry of Education to find the best date,” he said, underscoring the importance of the project’s long-term sustainability.

Beyond education, Angola is seeking to strengthen partnerships between Angolan and Portuguese companies, including technology transfer, promote the training of public administration staff and the exchange of best practices, and advance the Portuguese language through academic and scientific exchanges. At the multilateral level, Angola considers coordination with Portugal within the United Nations, the European Union, and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) to be a key priority.

Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=551806