João Lourenço was speaking after the signing of seven legal instruments this Thursday in Luanda, as part of the 72-hour state visit to Angola by his Vietnamese counterpart, Luong Cuong.
The two governments signed memoranda in the areas of defense and security, justice, media, trade, and oil, among others, which will serve as a basis for the cooperation the two countries intend to achieve in the near future.
The President of the Republic highlighted the ties of friendship and relations between the two countries, which date back to November 12, 1975, emphasizing that this visit coincides with the celebration of Angola's 50th anniversary of independence and the establishment of relations between the two states.
According to João Lourenço, both are "fighting countries, but also victorious countries" in the fight against colonization and invasions by foreign forces.
"Today we have an obligation to focus solely on the economic and social development of our countries, and that's what we're doing. We're at different levels of development, obviously, but the goal is the same: to do everything we can to develop our countries' economies for the well-being of our people," he said.
João Lourenço emphasized the need for both countries to cooperate, because "no one develops alone." He emphasized that the talks concluded "that trade between Angola and Vietnam is at a low, unsatisfactory level" and the need to "reverse this situation," highlighting Vietnam's export power of manufactured goods, with "a highly diversified economy, unlike Angola."
"Vietnamese private investors want to invest in Angola in various areas of the economy, and we are certain that, when this happens, together with investors from other parts of the world, they will help us diversify our economy, increase the production of goods and services, and consequently increase our export capacity, including manufactured goods, not just raw materials," he said.
The head of state emphasized the mutual interest in strengthening cooperation in the defense and security, agriculture, fishing, and manufacturing sectors.
"Especially in the equipment production industry for rural areas, to serve rural families who currently farm with very rudimentary tools, which makes it difficult for them to achieve the desired income per hectare," he emphasized.
The President of the Republic expressed Vietnam's desire to establish an industry in Angola to locally produce much of the equipment needed for agricultural development, "which is small and simple, but makes a difference, especially in family farming."
João Lourenço accepted his Vietnamese counterpart's invitation to visit the Asian country, which is expected to take place in 2026.
In turn, the Vietnamese president said that this is the beginning of a new phase of cooperation between the two countries, reaffirming in the political sphere the firm commitment to continue solidifying the relations of friendship and solidarity between the two states.
Luong Cuong said that in the economic sphere, the two countries agreed to facilitate reciprocal access to products that benefit their respective markets, promote investment opportunities, and create a favorable environment for business participation in the areas of agriculture, petroleum, information technology, among others.
"In addition to continuing to strengthen traditional cooperation such as education, training, health, and agriculture, both parties expressed interest in expanding partnerships in areas such as defense, information technology, science, digital transition, and green transition," Luong Cuong emphasized.
On the occasion, the Vietnamese President also praised Angola's role in the presidency of the African Union, as well as its actions aimed at promoting peace, security and stability in Africa.
