Viet Nam and Angola are entering a new phase of cooperation in the agricultural sector, focusing on experience transfer, production investment, and human resource development under a South-South cooperation model. A significant milestone in this process is the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Viet Nam-South Cooperation Working Group in Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Angola in Luanda.
The signing ceremony took place on December 12 (local time), witnessed by Angola's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Isaac Francisco Maria dos Anjos and the Vietnamese Ambassador to Angola, Duong Chinh Chuc, demonstrating the clear political commitment of both countries to promoting substantive and long-term bilateral agricultural cooperation.
The memorandum of understanding on cooperation was signed to concretize the Action Plan on agricultural cooperation agreed upon by both sides during President Luong Cuong's high-level visit to Angola last August. The document states that Angola is ready to receive Vietnamese investment in the agricultural and forestry sectors, aiming to implement cooperation projects over the next three years, expected to begin in 2026.
Representing Viet Nam at the signing ceremony was Mr. Pham Ngoc Mau, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department and Head of the South-South Cooperation Working Group in Agriculture; representing Angola was Mr. Anderson Jerónimo, Director of the Research, Planning and Statistics Department (GEPE).
Viet Nam and Angola agree on a specific implementation roadmap to bring cooperation projects into reality soon. Photo: ICD.Focus on rice, cassava, and forestry development
During their working visit from December 9-14, the Viet Nam-South Working Group met with the Angolan Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to finalize several specific areas of cooperation. Over the first three years, the projects will focus on rice, cassava, and soybean production, as well as forestry development – areas well-suited to Angola's natural conditions and development needs, while also leveraging Vietnam's strengths and experience.
Notably, Angola expressed strong agreement with Viet Nam's proposals, with the rice development project in Lunda Norte province identified as a top priority. Besides production, both sides also agreed to promote technology transfer to smallholder farmers and build capacity for Angolan agricultural officials.
An important aspect of the cooperation is human resource training and development. Both sides agreed to strengthen the training of Angolan technical staff in Vietnam, and to send Vietnamese experts to Angola for on-site training, technical support, and sharing of practical experience.
According to the plan, from December 21-27, Angola will send 10 technical staff to Viet Nam to participate in a specialized training course. Conversely, Viet Nam will send a team of experts to Angola to conduct field surveys, assess project implementation conditions, and prepare a technical report as a basis for the next steps.
Expanding South-South cooperation in Africa
Minister Isaac Francisco Maria dos Anjos affirmed Angola's strong commitment to facilitating agricultural cooperation projects with Viet Nam, thereby creating new momentum for bilateral relations. Angola is expected to become a key partner in Viet Nam's strategy of expanding South-South cooperation in Africa.
The signing of the first memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the South-South Working Group on Agriculture not only opens up new prospects for substantive Viet Nam-Angola cooperation, but also contributes to affirming Viet Nam's increasingly prominent role in promoting international agricultural cooperation and contributing to efforts to ensure global food security.