Angolan President seeks closer ties with India in pharma, agriculture, renewable energy

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Angolan President Goncalves Lourenco on Sunday highlighted the need for strengthening cooperation between India and Angola in various sectors, including the pharmaceutical industry, agriculture, and the renewable energy sector.

"We firmly believe that this transformation will only be truly sustainable if it is supported by strong, fair, and innovative partnerships. Without doubt, India’s business dynamism, technological excellence, and capacity for innovation are qualities that Angola deeply values and with which we wish to walk side by side," Lourenco said in his address at the India-Angola Business Forum held here.

The relationship between Angola and India is built on a solid legal and institutional foundation, developed over decades of cooperation, he pointed out.

"The existing bilateral agreements — in areas such as health, energy, financial services, and diplomatic mobility — reflect both countries’ commitment to a structured, transparent, and mutually beneficial partnership," he said.

The President highlighted Angola’s strategic location with privileged access to regional markets through the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). which enables the country to position itself as a logistics and industrial hub for Indian companies seeking to expand across the African continent.

He pointed out that with significant investments in transport and logistics infrastructure, like the Lobito Corridor, there are immense new possibilities for regional value chains.

"We invite Indian entrepreneurs to explore these logistical opportunities that can place Angola at the centre of their export strategies — both for Africa and the wider world," he said.

The event was also addressed by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who cited the strengths which have positioned India as a significant investment hub.

"Looking ahead, there are several priority sectors where we can deepen collaboration. In the energy sector, we can develop oil and gas infrastructure and partner on clean energy. In the field of education and skilling, India can play an important role in education and capacity building, through high-tech training and an increased number of scholarships."

CII President Sanjiv Puri spoke about the areas of opportunity between India and Angola. "Angola has a very strong mining sector and the third largest diamond production in Africa. The country also possesses repositories of critical minerals including copper, gold, uranium, lead and zinc," he said.

"I truly believe that joint exploration in diamond processing and other critical minerals would develop a critical minerals value chain, potentially impacting crucial sectors like RE and EV manufacturing," he added.

A panel discussion between industry members from both countries was held at the forum, around a plethora of areas for cooperation, including pharmaceuticals, agriculture and energy transition.

--IANS

sps/vd