The host leader warmly welcomed President Cuong and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation on their state visit to the Republic of Angola. He highlighted that this is a moment of great significance, marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and also the 50th anniversary of Angola's independence. President Lourenço affirmed that Angola always remembers and is proud that Vietnam was the second country to recognise its independence, which is an extremely noble gesture.

He emphasised that President Cuong’s visit has further strengthened the traditional friendship between the two countries. Highlighting the shared history of struggle for national liberation and subsequent development challenges, the Angolan leader noted these similarities formed a strong foundation to elevate the bilateral ties. Angola wishes to partner with Vietnam on the path of cooperation for mutual development, he said.

President Lourenço acknowledged progress in development cooperation between the two countries but noted that it still falls short of the two sides’ potential and aspirations. Both sides expressed a shared desire to enhance cooperation, particularly in areas that impact social welfare such as education and healthcare.

The Angolan President expressed his hope that the agreements signed during this visit will further boost cooperation in security, defence, fisheries, and investment. He also expected Vietnam to support Angola in developing farming tools, machinery, and other aspects of agricultural production, particularly in the context of smallholder farming.

President Lourenço confirmed that he had accepted President Cuong’s invitation to visit Vietnam and that relevant agencies from both countries will coordinate to arrange the visit through diplomatic channels.

For his part, President Cuong expressed his sincere thanks for the warm, respectful, and friendly welcome extended by President Lourenço, other leaders, and the people of Angola to himself, his spouse, and the Vietnamese delegation.

The Vietnamese leader shared that his talks with President Lourenço had been highly successful, with both sides engaging in a comprehensive discussion and reaching strong consensus on orientations and measures to usher in a new era of deeper and more effective cooperation between Vietnam and Angola.

According to the State President, the two leaders had agreed to advance the traditional friendship and foster mutual support for development, and for prosperity of the two countries' people and for peace and stability in the region and the world.

The two leaders also agreed to maintain regular high-level visits and exchanges across all channels, effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms, and explore the establishment of specialised subcommittees in areas of shared interest, he said.

On economic ties, building on the great potential for cooperation as well as the new strengths and momentum of both sides, the President said the two sides were unanimous in further facilitating market access for each country’s key export products. Both sides agreed to enhance the sharing of investment opportunities and create favourable conditions for businesses from both countries to participate in priority projects, particularly in agriculture, oil and gas, energy, and information technology.

In addition, the two countries will continue to promote cooperation in traditional fields such as education and training, healthcare, and agriculture. In the time ahead, they will also expand collaboration in promising areas, including national defence, information technology, science and technology, digital transformation, and green transition.

Regarding regional and international matters of mutual concern, according to the Vietnamese President, the two sides pledged to enhance coordination and share positions at multilateral forums such as the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Both countries underscored the importance of resolving disputes through peaceful means, not using or threatening to use force, in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. Vietnam also highly evaluated Angola’s role as Chair of the African Union in 2025 and its initiatives to promote peace, stability and security across the continent.

The two Presidents welcomed the signing of a series of cooperation agreements between ministries, agencies, and enterprises of the two countries, covering areas such as security, justice, television, trade, and oil and gas.

President Cuong called on relevant ministries and agencies of Vietnam and Angola to actively implement the signed agreements and pursue the directions outlined by the two leaders, thus further stepping the partnership for mutual development and turning Vietnam – Angola ties as a model of South-South cooperation to serve the development needs and benefits of both countries.

On this occasion, Vietnam also urged Angola to continue safeguarding the safety and security of the Vietnamese community and businesses, and create favourable conditions for their stable and long-term activities in the African country.

Vietnamese, Angolan Presidents hold talks in Luanda

State President Luong Cuong held talks with Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço in Luanda on August 7 morning (local time), right after an official welcome ceremony held for the Vietnamese leader.

President Lourenço praised President Cuong’s state visit as a historic milestone that lays the foundation for a new phase of deeper and stronger cooperation between the two countries.

Expressing his delight at visiting Angola for the first time on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the eve of Angola’s 50th independence anniversary, President Cuong conveyed the warm greetings from Party General Secretary To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to President Lourenço, other leaders and the people of Angola.

The two leaders reviewed the enduring Vietnam-Angola relationship, forged through shared solidarity during their respective struggles for national liberation. A lasting symbol of this friendship is Ho Chi Minh Avenue, prominently located in the heart of Angola’s capital Luanda.

 State President Luong Cuong (L) and Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço. (Photo: VNA)
President Cuong stressed the fraternal ties between Vietnam and Angola as a shared invaluable asset. It serves as a solid foundation for both countries to enter a new phase of development, further foster political trust and mutual support between the two Parties and States, and deepen the solidarity and mutual understanding between their people.

Hailing Vietnam’s role and strengths, the host leader suggested Vietnam assist Angola in agricultural development, especially in rice cultivation and fruit production, as part of Angola’s strategy to ensure sustainable food security.

Regarding trade, President Lourenço expressed his desire for greater presence of Vietnamese products in Angola’s market and encouraged Vietnamese companies to invest in manufacturing within the country. He also proposed expanding cooperation in national defence-security, mining, and metallurgy.

Reaffirming Angola’s status as a top African partner of Vietnam, President Cuong noted the untapped potential in bilateral cooperation and proposed working together to build a cooperative partnership for mutual development, setting a model for South-South collaboration.

To achieve this, the Vietnamese leader advocated for sustained political solidarity and trust, stronger national defence-security ties, diversified collaboration in traditional sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture, especially through expert exchanges.

Sharing the host’s stance on the importance of elevating trade and investment ties, President Cuong suggested Angolan authorities support Vietnamese firms in pursuing projects in the fields of oil and gas, energy, mineral exploitation and processing, and metallurgy.

He proposed boosting trade promotion, business connections, and banking cooperation, alongside accelerating negotiations for key economic agreements to achieve a bilateral trade target of 1 billion USD in the near future.

The guest also urged Angolan authorities to ensure the safety and stability of the Vietnamese community in Angola, enabling them to contribute to the development of both nations.

The two leaders agreed to continue to strengthen the solidarity, cohesion and trust between the two Parties and countries through maintaining the exchange of high-level visits and contacts through all channels, effectively implementing the Intergovernmental Committee mechanism, and promoting cooperation in areas such as human resource training and student exchange.

Discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern, President Luong Cuong congratulated the President of Angola for his many initiatives to promote peace, security and stability in Africa in his role as Chairperson of the African Union in 2025 and African Union Champion for Peace and Reconciliation.

To promote the effectiveness of cooperation between the two countries in multilateral, international and regional forums, the Vietnamese President asked Angola to support Vietnam in increasing its presence, expanding substantive cooperation with the African Union and supporting Vietnam's candidacy for international organisations.

The two leaders affirmed their support for resolving disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of respect for international law and the UN Charter, for peace, cooperation and development in each region and in the world.

On this occasion, President Luong Cuong respectfully invited President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço and his wife to pay an official visit to Vietnam. The host leader thanked and accepted the invitation with pleasure.

 At the signing ceremony for the Letter of Intent on cooperation between the Vietnamese and Angolan Ministries of National Defence. (Photo: VNA)
At the end of the talks, President Luong Cuong and President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço issued a Vietnam - Angola Joint Statement, demonstrating the commitment and determination of the two sides in opening a new phase in bilateral cooperation.

They co-chaired a press conference and witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents.

The signed documents include the agreement on the transfer of sentenced prisoners betwee Vietnam and Angola; the agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between Vietnam and Angola; the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in crime prevention and control between the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam and the Office of the Attorney General of Angola; the Letter of Intent on cooperation between the Vietnamese and Angolan Ministries of National Defence; the Action Plan on agricultural cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Angolan Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; the agreement on cooperation between Vietnam Television and Angola's national broadcaster TPA; and the MoU on oil and gas cooperation between the Petrovietnam Exploration Production Corporation and Angola’s Sonangol E&P.

Within the framework of the visit, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its Angolan counterpart signed a MoU on cooperation./.VNA