Angola and Tanzania signed four cooperation agreements, expanding a bilateral framework designed to turn their long-standing political friendship into a closer economic and technical partnership.
The agreements were signed during Angolan President João Lourenço’s state visit to Dar es Salaam on October 29, and witnessed by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, according to the ANGOP news agency.
The new agreements cover the transfer of sentenced persons, meteorology, bilateral air services, and information and communication technology (ICT). They add to 12 existing bilateral agreements, bringing the total to 16, while the two governments are negotiating about five more, including potential cooperation on satellite technology.
Beyond the signed documents, the leaders discussed a broader connectivity agenda. They agreed to pursue a railway link connecting Angola’s Atlantic-facing Lobito Corridor with Tanzania’s Indian Ocean-linked Central Corridor, via Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The proposal would complement rehabilitation of the TAZARA railway and Angola’s Benguela Railway, improving cargo movement across the region.
The visit also produced cooperation discussions on energy, mining, health and regional security. Tanzania’s petroleum company, TPDC, is assessing a possible partnership in Angola’s Lobito oil-refinery project, while both governments plan a trade and investment forum to engage private-sector businesses.
Lourenço’s visit is the first by an Angolan president to Tanzania since 1979, underscoring the renewed push to convert historical solidarity into trade, infrastructure and investment.
