What is behind the visit of the President of Angola to Algeria? | news

The President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, made a three-day state visit to Algeria, which began on Monday, at the invitation of his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and resulted in the signing of 11 cooperation agreements and the two countries announcing their intention to move towards a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”

In a joint press conference, President Tebboune said that the talks “allowed for a review of the reality of bilateral cooperation and the prospects for its development,” stressing that the two sides demonstrated “a strong political will to establish a comprehensive and fruitful strategic partnership.” He pointed out that the agreement would work to enhance cooperation in the sectors of hydrocarbons, agriculture, pharmaceutical industry, renewable energies, health, digitalization and training, and announced the launch of a direct air line between Algeria and Luanda as of next July, in addition to an agreement to establish a joint business council.

For his part, João Lourenço said in the same press conference that Angola and Algeria “have the ability to contribute significantly not only to the development of their countries, but also to the development of our African continent,” adding that his country is “interested in exploring opportunities in all sectors,” according to the Ecovan agency, which specializes in African economic affairs.

11 agreements in various sectors

The signed agreements included the sectors of oil and gas, mining, air transport, higher education, science, technology and innovation, the pharmaceutical industry, investment, vocational training, water resources, post, communications and information technology, in addition to a protocol of agreement in agriculture and fishing, an agreement in the field of animal health, and a memorandum of understanding between the Algerian Diplomatic Institute and the Angolan Diplomatic Academy.

The Ecovan agency indicated that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries remained limited to $1.4 million in 2024, according to the International Trade Center, and that the new agreements may support the economic diversification strategy for Angola, which remains highly dependent on oil exports, and enhance its access to North African markets, while Algeria may strengthen its position as a regional power by expanding energy partnerships with another fuel producer and opening opportunities in other sectors.

Political positions

The joint statement between the two presidents, according to Ecovan, confirmed the identical positions on regional peace and stability and African integration, especially through the African Continental Free Trade Area, as well as cooperation in combating terrorism and organized crime and supporting peaceful solutions to conflicts on the continent.

President Tebboune received his Angolan counterpart at Algiers International Airport, before Lourenco laid a wreath at the Martyr’s Shrine in the Algerian capital and visited the National Mujahid Museum, in honor of the martyrs of the Algerian liberation war against French colonialism. The visit program included a speech before members of both chambers of the Algerian Parliament and a visit to a seawater desalination plant to learn about the Algerian experience.

Press readings

The Algerian press described the visit as historic, as it was the first by an Angolan president to Algeria. The Angolan ambassador to Algeria, Toko Diakenga Serao, said, in statements reported by the Angolan website Ver Angola, that the two countries are committed to “strengthening bilateral economic cooperation, especially in energy, fuels, higher education, technical training, and political and diplomatic coordination.”

Internationally, Ecovan described the visit as an attempt “to transform the historical ties established in the anti-colonial era into a strategic partnership focused on economic development in the two countries and across Africa.”