Rio de janeiro: Angolan President Joo Louren§o on Sunday held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Uruguay, Yamandº Orsi, on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit, which is taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event brings together the large emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), now extended, since 2024, to a total of 11 countries.
According to Angola Press News Agency, during the meetings, issues related to the strengthening of bilateral relations and cooperation in various areas of common interest were discussed.
Angola-South Africa Relations
The relationship between Angola and South Africa is based on deep historical ties, forged during the period of struggle against the apartheid regime. Angola was one of the main supporters of the African National Congress (ANC), welcoming and supporting South African activists on Angolan soil. With the advent of democracy in South Africa and the election of Nelson Mandela, bilateral relations were institutionalized, based on regular political consultations and broad areas of economic cooperation. Currently, cooperation between the two countries has been strengthened, with emphasis on sectors such as energy, oil, gas, telecommunications, education, mining, and mineral resources. The two countries share a common vision of development and have worked together to promote sustainable economic growth and the well-being of their people.
Angola-Uruguay Bilateral Relations
With the President of Uruguay, Yamandº Orsi, Joo Louren§o analyzed the progress in relations between the two countries, formally established in 1988 and strengthened with the opening of the Uruguayan embassy in Luanda in 2014. Bilateral cooperation has been taking shape in sectors such as tourism, agribusiness, education, vocational training, and visa facilitation for entrepreneurs. Uruguay sees Angola as a strategic partner with the potential to facilitate access to the Southern African region. For its part, Angola observes with interest Uruguay's development model, in particular its advances in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction, seeking to benefit from its experience. The Uruguay-Africa Chamber of Commerce has shown growing interest in investing in Angola, namely through free zones created to attract foreign direct investment.
