The intention was addressed this Wednesday during a meeting between the Belgian ambassador, Josef Smets, and the minister of Industry and Commerce, Victor Fernandes, according to a statement from the Angolan ministry.
Belgium considers Angola to be a strategic partner in Africa and "has every interest in deepening cooperation with practical actions that are reflected in the economies of the two countries", stresses the same note, adding that the Belgian diplomat "expressed the desire to see a working group for the formation of a mixed bilateral commission ”to streamline the interaction between the two countries in the fields of industry and trade.
Victor Fernandes took the opportunity to convey to the Belgian ambassador the country's openness to diversified foreign investment, taking into account the potential that Angola has in several areas.
The minister also expressed the desire to count on Belgium with European partners “in the search for joint solutions to overcome the obstacles that still limit or hinder the export of certain Angolan products, especially in the agricultural sector, to the European Union, supposedly by non-observance of certain rules such as quality, calibration, packaging, standardization, etc. ”.
In 2019, Angola exported around 400 million euros to Belgium, mainly diamonds and agro-industrial products, while Belgium sold Angola 500 million euros essentially in chemicals and support material to the transport sector.
At the hearing, Ambassador Josef Smets also announced the return of Brussels Arilines flights to Luanda in February 2021, the note added.
