Luanda - Angola and the United States of America signed Tuesday in Luanda, two legal instruments in the air services and defense field, with the aim to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Signed by the Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Angolan Communities, Domingos Custódio Vieira Lopes, and the US ambassador to Angola, Tulinabo Mushingi, the air services agreement establishes overflight and stay rights and encourages fair competition between t both countries’ airlines.
The Agreement 505 establishes the conditions for the provision of training and other services under the International Military Education and Training Program (IMET).
The signing of these agreements represents a significant step forward in cooperation between Angola and the US and consolidates a mutual commitment to economic development, security and regional stability.
With the implementation of these legal instruments, relations between the two nations are expected to be bolstered to benefit the two peoples.
According to the American diplomat, one of the objectives is to diversify the economy and continue to promote security and stability in Angola and the region, adding that the agreement on transportation will help to ensure that, in the future, there are direct flights between Luanda and the US and vice versa.
The agreement on security, meanwhile, according to the American diplomat, is an instrument that will enable greater exchange and training between the two armed forces, both in Angola and in the US or elsewhere.
“We want to continue to support the Angolan armed forces in their modernization and this legal instrument will help us to achieve this goal,” the US diplomat said.
Angola and US relations
Angola and the United States of America established formal diplomatic relations in 1993, with the energy sector at the heart of economic relations between the two countries.
Fighting corruption
The US has supported Angola in the fight against corruption through various initiatives, including the Treasury Department's program launched in March 2019, to improve the country's capacity to implement the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.
Economic cooperation
American companies have investments in Angola, especially in the energy sector. ExxonMobil, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Caterpillar, Chevron, Cummins, TechnipFMC and Tidewater are all represented in the country.
In 2019, a consortium led by Chevron announced plans to invest more than 2 billion US dollars for the exploration of new offshore natural gas fields and increase production from existing fields.
The US Ex-ImBank signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Angola in April 2019, with the aim of exploring guarantees of up to four billion dollars in support of US exports to the country. MGM/SC/TED/AMP
