Angola and Spain agree to deepen economic cooperation

João Lourenço heads a national delegation that makes an official visit to Spain, having been received this Tuesday afternoon by Pedro Sánchez, after having met in the morning with King Felipe VI.

During the meeting this afternoon, Pedro Sánchez highlighted the interest that Spanish companies have in the Angolan market, "where they can contribute with their experience, quality and technology to the country's economic and social development", according to a press release distributed by the Angolan office. Head of the Spanish Government.

At the meeting, the two leaders reached an agreement on a joint declaration to "deepen bilateral relations and strengthen sectors of economic interest for Spanish companies and investments in the African country".

Many Spanish companies are currently developing projects in sectors such as water treatment, industrial refrigeration, health, education, training and geology, explains Madrid.

The good economic relations between the two countries are highlighted by the fact that in 2020 Spain exported 87 million euros to Angola and imported 548 million euros.

Since 2018, the accumulated value of Spanish investments in the country has reached 518 million euros, placing Angola in 49th place as a destination for Spanish investment.

"Spain wants to contribute to the design of the European Union's policy towards Africa, so that it is oriented towards the progress and industrialization of the continent, towards the creation of employment, especially for young people, and towards the effective implementation" of a Free Trade zone, said Pedro Sánchez, quoted in the press release.

Spain considers Angola a "priority country", due to its "political weight, regional projection and enormous economic potential".

For this reason, Angola is "one of Spain's main partners in sub-Saharan Africa" ​​and Madrid is one of "Angola's main supporters in the European Union".

Pedro Sánchez recalled that Spain had always been on Angola's side, "even in extremely difficult times" such as the years of civil war, and insisted that the two countries must "work together to promote a strategic relationship, with special emphasis on issues economic and investment projects".

Sánchez also stressed that to achieve socioeconomic recovery after the covid-19 pandemic, all countries must have access to vaccines.

In this regard, he recalled the announcement he made last week at the United Nations: of the 30 million vaccines that Spain has pledged to donate to different countries, 7.5 million will go to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and its southern neighbors.

The Spanish Government also emphasizes that the academic relationship between the two countries is reinforced by the recent launch of the Ibero-American University Foundation, which will train nearly 12,000 students with Spanish, Angolan and Ibero-American teaching staff.

For his part, at the lunch at which he was invited by the King of Spain and at which Pedro Sánchez was also present, João Lourenço assured that he intends "with this visit to establish a true strategic partnership" with Spain, "strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation in important domains" of the Angolan economy.

The President wants, with the visit he is making to Spain, to establish with this country "a true strategic partnership", with the Angolan market being "open to a greater presence" of Spanish businessmen.

According to João Lourenço's agenda, the official two-day visit to Spain ends this Wednesday with visits to "infrastructure and institutional objectives in the Spanish capital", among others to the water company Canal Isabel II and the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization (OMT).