Dar, Luanda seek economic gains

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA and Angola have agreed to deepen economic cooperation, prioritising trade, investment, transport connectivity and energy as they seek to transform decades of historical solidarity into tangible economic benefits for their citizens.

The commitment follows bilateral talks between President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Angolan counterpart, João Lourenço, at State House in Dar es Salaam yesterday, during his state visit to Tanzania.

The visit carries historical significance, coming nearly five decades after Angola’s founding president, the late Dr Agostinho Neto, visited Tanzania in 1979 during Southern Africa’s liberation struggles.

President Samia said economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries remains limited despite their longstanding ties, underscoring the need for both governments to explore new opportunities to expand trade and investment.

“We have agreed to organise a business and investment forum so that our businesspeople and the private sector can explore areas in which they can cooperate,” she said.

The leaders also witnessed the signing of four bilateral instruments: a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) and three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering information and communication technology (ICT), the transfer of sentenced persons and meteorology.

Transport connectivity featured prominently in their talks, with President Samia identifying transport challenges as a major obstacle to trade across Africa.

“In our discussions we have agreed to strengthen cooperation by linking transport corridors and improving connections with the Port of Dar es Salaam.

“We also explored about rehabilitation of the TanzaniaZambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway and Angola’s Benguela railway, which passes through the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia,” she said.

The two leaders said improved railway connections would facilitate the movement of goods and strengthen regional trade. They also agreed to explore cooperation in maritime transport.

“The BASA provides a framework for air transport cooperation, with the potential to facilitate passenger travel, tourism and commercial exchanges between the two countries,” she said.

In the energy sector, President Samia said Angola invited Tanzania to explore opportunities for cooperation in oil refining, with the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) examining the possibility of participating in an oil refinery project.

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The two countries also agreed to exchange expertise in mining, particularly in supporting small-scale miners and increasing the value addition of minerals.

President Samia highlighted Tanzania’s mining and geological training institutions in Arusha, calling for greater promotion of the African Minerals Centre, headquartered in Dar es Salaam, to support regional cooperation. On healthcare, President Samia, the African Union (AU) champion for maternal and child health, called for Angola’s cooperation in efforts to eliminate maternal deaths during childbirth and reduce newborn mortality.

President Lourenço expressed interest in learning from Tanzania’s experience, proposing cooperation involving Tanzanian medical professionals, training opportunities for Angolan students and telemedicine.

President Samia also announced that Tanzania will open an embassy in Angola to strengthen diplomatic engagement and facilitate cooperation in trade and investment.

On his part, President Lourenço urged African countries to prioritise economic development and the welfare of their populations, stressing that no nation could achieve these objectives in isolation.

“We need to strengthen economic partnerships among African countries rather than prioritise commercial relations with Europe, America and Asia while neglecting opportunities within our own continent,” President João Lourenço said.

The Angolan leader also offered to share the capabilities of Angola’s AngoSat-2 satellite with Tanzania and other Southern African Development Community (SADC) members to support agriculture, meteorology and economic development.

On regional security, the leaders expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in the DRC and the wider Great Lakes region, agreeing to cooperate in supporting peace efforts. President Lourenço also raised concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and instability in Comoros, while highlighting the economic effects of international conflicts, including rising prices of oil, fertiliser and food.

The two leaders further emphasised the need to reform the United Nations Security Council to improve Africa’s representation in international decision-making.

“We will support Tanzania’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, while Tanzania has pledged to support Angola’s candidate, Engineer Josefa Sacko, for the position of Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO),” President Lourenço said.

The visit underscores efforts to transform the countries’ historic friendship into a practical economic partnership. President Lourenço further said the success of the commitments will depend on implementing the signed agreements, mobilising investment and sustaining cooperation between governments and businesses.