India and Angola held their 1st Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in the capital city of Angola, Luanda, on August 11. The talks witnessed discussions on domains such as trade, defence, energy, agriculture, science and technology, among others.
The Indian side was led by Sevala Naik Mude, Additional Secretary (Central & West Africa Division), while the Angolan side was spearheaded by Ambassador Esmeralda Bravo Conde Da Silva Mendonca, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry of External Affairs informed that the two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the UN and other multilateral fora, climate change, International Solar Alliance (ISA), and sustainable development.
It is pertinent to note that trade relations between India and Angola are displaying a steady upward trajectory. During the last three years, trade between the countries has increased from USD 2.14 billion in 2020–21 to USD 4.22 billion in 2022–23. India is the third-largest trading partner of Angola, sharing about 10% of Angola’s external trade. Further, India’s imports from Angola are primarily driven by crude oil, which accounts for 3% of our global oil imports.
The major development of the meeting was the discussion related to enhancing cooperation in the fields of rough diamond trade, agriculture, food processing, and defence cooperation. Notably, India also offered an LOC of USD 100 million to Angola for defence procurement.
India and Angola have traditionally enjoyed warm and friendly relations based on shared values and a common vision. The high-level engagements between India and Angola have helped to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. The First Joint Commission Meeting Co-Chaired by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries, which was held in September 2020, provided fresh impetus to the bilateral relations of the two countries.