Russia sets cooperation as priority with Angola

 Luanda - Russian Federation announced its availability to maintain cooperation with Angola, with a view to developing bilateral relations in different fields.

The Russia’s stance was announced by that country’s minister of Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, while speaking to the press at the end of a meeting with the Angolan President, João Lourenço.

The almost two-hour audience, focused on common interest and the international events, with stress to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“We had a long and consistent dialogue. We discussed our bilateral relations in detail”, said Sergey Lavrov.

He explained that during the talk they outlined the guidance to be followed toward the implementation of strategic cooperation between the two countries in various domains.

As for the conflict in Ukraine, Sergey Lavrov slammed the West trend to use colonialist methods.

Cooperation ties

Privileged relations between Angola and Russia date back since October 8, 1976, the date on which the countries signed Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in Moscow, at the time capital of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

On 16 November 2004, the two countries signed, in Luanda, an agreement on re-launch of cooperation in the economic and technical-scientific domains.

On the following day, they created the intergovernmental commission for economic, technical-scientific and commercial cooperation.

Currently, the cooperation is most significant in the sectors of energy, geology and mining, higher education, staff training, defence and security, telecommunications and information technologies, fisheries, transport, finance and banking.

By this time, it is estimated that at least 1,000 Russians are living in Angola, while 1,500 Angolans reside in Russia.

Russia is members of a group of 61 countries covered by the procedures for simplifying administrative acts for the granting of tourist visas.

In 2019, the Angolan President João Lourenço visited to Russia, where he held a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

In the same period, the two countries delegations held high level talks on the strengthening and expanding bilateral cooperation.

However, until the second half of 2019, trade between Angola and Russia stood at US$26 million.

There was a 40% drop compared to the previous period.