Angola Inaugurates Embassy, Indonesia Strengthens Bilateral Ties

KBRN, Jakarta: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Arrmanatha C. Nasir, held a bilateral meeting with the Secretary of State/Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Administration, Finance, and Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Angola, Osvaldo Dos Santos Varela, at the Embassy of Angola in Jakarta (April 30). During the meeting, Angola was highlighted as an important partner in Africa and in South-South cooperation.

“Angola is a key partner for Indonesia in Africa and also in South-South cooperation. The opening of the Angolan Embassy during the commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Asian-African Conference is a significant momentum for the friendship and advancement of relations between the two countries,” said Arrmanatha.

During the meeting, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across various sectors.

Firstly, both sides emphasized the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation through the existing Political Consultation mechanism as well as the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), which is expected to be signed by the Foreign Ministers of both countries in the near future.

In addition, Deputy Minister Arrmanatha and Deputy Minister Dos Santos Varela expressed hope for the early conclusion of several memoranda of understanding between the two countries, particularly in the fields of oil and gas, industry, fisheries and marine resources, as well as diplomatic training.

Secondly, in the economic sector, both countries agreed on the importance of diversifying non-oil and gas trade commodities, expanding market access, and providing tariff benefits for each country’s key export products. One of the efforts in this regard is the formation of the Indonesia-Angola Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), which has been delayed since October 2021.

Indonesia also expressed its readiness to support Angola’s vision of becoming a leading producer in the agriculture and fisheries sectors in the Sub-Saharan Africa region within the next five years, through international development cooperation schemes.

In line with diversification efforts, Indonesia will continue to strengthen oil and gas cooperation with Angola to achieve national energy security. Angola, in turn, offered cooperation in the critical minerals sector, which is also one of Indonesia’s top priorities.

In terms of regional cooperation, Indonesia expressed appreciation and support for Angola’s upcoming presidency of the African Union in 2025. Both countries also agreed to explore the potential for collaboration between ASEAN and the African Union.

Source : Ministry of Foreign Affairs