The Angolan President, João Lourenço, accompanied by his wife, will pay a state visit to Paris this Thursday. The main objective of this trip is to consolidate political and economic relations between France and Angola. Crucial regional issues, particularly the peace process in the Great Lakes region, will be discussed, according to an Elysée source. Note that in March 2023, Emmanuel Macron, French President, visited Luanda, highlighting partnerships in the economic and agricultural fields.
France has established itself as the main investor in Angola, with financial commitments reaching 18 billion euros, mainly allocated to the oil sector. Agriculture represents another key axis of this cooperation with agreements relating to irrigation and the reconstitution of the coffee sector. In terms of culture and Francophonie, Angola, a Portuguese-speaking country, joined the International Organization of La Francophonie in 2023 as an observer. The Élysée highlighted that initiatives such as learning French in Angolan schools and the opening of a bilingual Franco-Portuguese high school have been put in place.
From an international perspective, João Lourenço is expected to take over the presidency of the African Union, allowing him to play a leading role on the African continent. This function should promote cooperation in regional issues, notably mediation between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda within the framework of the Luanda process. The Élysée mentions that the main objective is to relaunch negotiations to ease tensions in eastern DRC. The Lobito Corridor, a European-backed project to improve the export of minerals between Angola, Zambia and the DRC, will also be discussed.
The official program of this state visit includes a welcome ceremony at Les Invalides, followed by bilateral meetings and an official dinner. A major announcement could be made regarding a contract with Airbus for an Earth observation satellite, financed by a French bank. This visit comes at a strategic moment for relations between the two countries, combining economic, cultural and geopolitical dynamics, and is part of the French perspective of strengthening its influence in sub-Saharan Africa, in the face of competition from other powers such as the China and Russia, according to the Élysée. The text was read on the website of our colleagues from Anadolu.
