Luanda: Japan's ambassador to Angola, Hiroaki Sano, announced in Huambo on Monday that Japan is aiming to strengthen legal measures to boost security and prevent financial crime risks along the Lobito Corridor. The initiative aims to create a better operating environment for both domestic and foreign companies looking to invest in this crucial area.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the ambassador emphasized that the project will focus on professional and technical training to combat financial crime in this economically and socially strategic region. The programs will be executed in partnership with the Coordinated Border Management Committee (CGCF) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with the goal of consolidating the business environment and fortifying corporate stability.
Hiroaki Sano revealed that nearly 80 million US dollars have been invested in Angola to support various sectors, including agriculture, education, healthcare, trade, and the judicial sector, particularly to enhance the stability and effective functioning of the Lobito Corridor. The Japanese Government aims to foster sustainable development and accelerate economic diversification through cooperation agreements with Angola.
The ambassador also promised increased collaboration with the Angolan Government, especially in programs targeting social improvements for the population and communities along the Lobito Corridor. Meanwhile, Huambo Governor Pereira Alfredo expressed the provincial government's interest in technology transfer and human resource development to bolster commercial and family farming, thereby boosting productivity through efficient resource utilization.
Governor Alfredo highlighted the importance of enhancing the resilience of small-scale farmers to maintain production and export goods via the Lobito Corridor. He reiterated that priorities focus on agribusiness projects, the logistics platform under development, and the Ca¡la Industrial Development Hub.
Within the cooperation framework with Japan, the Huambo Provincial Government plans to expand programs in human resource development in agriculture, mine clearance, healthcare, and other strategic sectors vital for business activity and socio-economic progress. Governor Alfredo noted significant reductions in land affected by explosive remnants of war, thanks to intensive demining efforts, including those supported by Japan, converting cleared areas into productive agricultural zones.
Post-meeting, Ambassador Sano visited the Ca¡la Logistics Platform and the rare earth elements exploration project in Longonjo. Diplomatic ties between Angola and Japan were established in September 1976, following Angola's independence in November 1975. In recent decades, bilateral cooperation has increasingly focused on economic issues, aiming to foster sustainable development in both nations.
