Russia ready to boost partnership with Angola

By Kester Kenn Klomegah, GNA's Moscow Bureau Chief

MOSCOW, Russia, April 02, GNA – Hoping to strengthen multifaceted cooperation and strike new deals, Angolan President João Manuel Goncalves Lourenço, with a delegation, has travelled to Moscow for a four-day official working visit at the invitation of his counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

On Thursday, João Lourenço will meet with President Putin and hold talks on strengthening bilateral ties.

The visiting Angolan leader would be at the State Duma, the lower Chamber of Parliament and then attend a business forum for investors from both countries.

President Putin has expressed confidence that President Lourenço visit marks a new stage in the development of bilateral relations between Russia and Angola.

Last week, President Lourenço gave an exclusive interview to a Russian media, Itar-TASS, and spoke plans to build factories to manufacture Russian weapons and military equipment for the African market.

"As for our military and technical cooperation with Russia - it will continue and be deepened.

“We would like to evolve from our current state of purchasers of Russian military equipment and technologies towards becoming the manufacturers and having an assembly point of Russian military equipment in our country."

Russia and Angola have military and technical cooperation. In 2018, Russia agreed to supply arms and military equipment to Angola worth US$2.5 billion, including spare parts from Soviet-made weaponry, light weapons, ammunition, tanks, artillery, and multi-purpose helicopters.

Besides, there are a number of Russia companies interested in Angola including Mazepin's which is considering the building of nitrogen fertilizer plant in Angola.

Zarubezhneft plans to work in the oil and gas industry, from exploration and field construction to the pipeline systems construction and supply of equipment to the oil facilities.

Zarubezhneft has already sealed a memorandum of understanding with Angola's authorities to cooperate - exploration and operation of its crude oil fields.

For this purpose, the consortium is eying the Atlantic shelf of Angola, expecting to produce from it in partnership with Angola’s Sonangol and Dark Oil Company.

Additionally a contract had been signed for the building and financing of Angola's national satellite communications and broadcasting system, AngoSat.

Energiya Corporation reaffirmed its intention to fulfill the contract that envisions creation of a satellite network for telecommunication and broadcasting in Angola.

In July 2018, President Putin held a meeting with President Lourenço on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

"Our trade is quite modest so far, but in general, we have good projects that can be implemented. Our military and technical cooperation is also developing.

“We are actively cooperating in political matters, security, and at international organizations," President Putin told his Angolan counterpart.

Experts, such as Professors Vladimir Shubin and Alexandra Archangelskaya of the Institute for African Studies in Moscow, have also argued that "both Russia and Angola still need to be more strategic in aligning their interests, and more proactive in carving out efficient bilateral instruments and mechanisms in order to promote economic exchanges and reap the benefits of a fully-fledged partnership."

In 2016, exports from Russia to Angola amounted to US$567.9 million and Angolan exports to Russia amounted to just US$14.94 million.

GNA

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