The agreements were formalised this Tuesday in Luanda, within the scope of the 4th Call for Proposals of the EU-Angola Dialogues programme, an initiative launched in 2019 that aims to strengthen institutional partnerships, promote sustainable development and improve the effectiveness of public policies in the priority areas of the Angola-European Union Joint Pathway agreement.
"Out of a total of 41 applications received, 10 actions were approved", announced the EU ambassador to Angola, Rosário Bento Pais, highlighting that the selected projects cover themes such as economic growth, agro-industrial development, transport, energy, climate change, science and human rights, with a strong focus on the Lobito Corridor region.
The European support is part of the Global Gateway strategy, which foresees the mobilisation of public and private financing in priority economic corridors in Africa, with Lobito being one of the most important.
"Our goal is to view the Lobito Corridor as a true economic corridor, diversify the economy and create jobs for young people", stated the European official.
Rosário Bento Pais highlighted that many of the new actions will be linked to projects already underway in the areas of agricultural value chains, renewable energy, fisheries, circular economy and local administration, focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation and boosting the economy of the central-southern region of Angola.
Each action of the Dialogues programme is led by an Angolan institution in partnership with a European counterpart.
The activities include the preparation of studies, workshops, technical exchanges and institutional capacity building, and are financed with non-refundable funds. Since the beginning of the programme, more than 15 dialogue actions have been launched, involving more than 40 institutions and around four thousand participants.
The results already achieved include 12 technical studies, eight seminars on good practices and 78 capacity-building initiatives, with 90 percent of beneficiaries reporting improved knowledge.
The EU's multi-annual programme for Angola (2021–2027) provides more than 400 million euros in grants, focused on three priority areas: human capital, economic diversification and good governance.
In her speech, Rosário Bento Pais reiterated the European Union's commitment to the sustainable and inclusive development of Angola, highlighting the importance of "lasting partnerships" with public and private institutions that contribute to the professionalisation of public policies and the strengthening of Angola's public administration.
