"The objective of the package is to provide tangible benefits to the Angolan people through better jobs, better education and sustainable economic growth, as well as to continue developing the Lobito Corridor," reads the press release announcing the assistance package signed between the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, and the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela.
The package, which is part of the EU's Global Gateway strategy, focuses on promoting sustainable investment, vocational training and biodiversity conservation, with the initiatives "aligned with the development of the Lobito Corridor, a flagship EU project to help Angola to connect its resources and potential to global markets, creating opportunities for economic diversification and regional growth."
Quoted in the statement, Commissioner Síkela states that the EU, with this package, is "not only supporting Angola's economic development, but also helping its people to unlock new opportunities" and highlights that "improved education, quality employment and sustainable trade are at the heart of the partnership, as they are one of the important conditions for developing the common flagship project, the Lobito Corridor".
The three main components of this assistance package are the promotion of trade and investment in Angola, support for technical education and vocational training and improvement of Angola's natural heritage, says the EU, highlighting that the first aspect, which will have an investment of 8.5 million euros, "improves Angola's business environment and strengthens its commercial frameworks, contributing to the country's ecological transition".
The largest share, however, goes to the PROSPERA program, which supports technical education and professional training, and which will receive 43 million euros to try to minimize "the gap between the demand for qualified workers and the supply in Angola's priority economic sectors, such as agriculture, renewable energy and transportation."
Governance and ecotourism, with a 25 million euros grant, should see improvements "in the restoration of biodiversity and in the positioning of Angola as a leading ecotourism destination, promoting the sustainable management of conservation landscapes, reinforcing the inclusion of communities local biodiversity efforts and supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation."
These three pillars are linked to the Lobito Corridor, described by the EU as "a crucial economic corridor linking Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia to global markets" and which, "by facilitating trade in essential raw materials, promotes industry local and create jobs, amplifies the impact of EU investments".