Luanda: Strengthening partnerships, promoting the country's strategic vision, and identifying new cooperation opportunities dominated the agenda of the Angolan delegation at the International Space Summit, held on 9 and 10 September in Paris, France. The Angolan delegation was led by the Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, M¡rio Oliveira, representing President Joo Louren§o.
According to Angola Press News Agency, discussions at the summit included high-level meetings with Airbus Defence and Space SAS France and the African Space Agency (AfSA). The meeting with Airbus allowed for an assessment of the ANGEO-1 Project and discussions on future collaborations. Meanwhile, discussions with AfSA focused on strengthening institutional cooperation and exploring opportunities for continental collaboration, including Angola's participation in ASPEX in C´te d'Ivoire.
The summit also saw Angola signing the Declaration of Interest for Membership of the Space4Ocean Alliance, participating in sessions dedicated to the space industry, and presenting its policy and strategic vision for the space sector. The participation underscored Angola's commitment to using space technologies for sovereignty, innovation, and sustainable development.
The Angolan delegation's agenda concluded with a meeting with Portuguese officials, including Portugal's Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, Helena Canho. The meeting reviewed ongoing projects and areas for cooperation, emphasizing training and capacity-building initiatives. Discussions took place under a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space, signed by GGPEN and the Portuguese Space Agency in 2023.
The Angolan delegation also provided updates on the national space law preparation process and the prospect of strengthening technical cooperation with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency, announced plans to propose a Space Hub in Angola, recognizing the country's recent progress.
The parties explored the potential for including the Space Hub project under the Global Gateway, the European Union strategy supporting sustainable investment. Enhanced cooperation could create opportunities for training, innovation, and technological solutions tailored to Angola's needs, leveraging projects such as ANGOSAT-2 and ANGEO-1.
Angola's participation in the summit facilitated the consolidation of institutional relations, promotion of the National Space Programme, and advancement of new African, European, and multilateral cooperation initiatives.
