Viet Nam’s SSC Working Group signs first meeting memorandum with Angola

On December 12 (local time) in Luanda, the Vietnamese delegation of the South-South Cooperation Working Group in Agriculture signed a memorandum of agreement on cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Angola. The agreed content focuses on effectively implementing the Agricultural Cooperation Action Plan agreed during the high-level visit of State President Luong Cuong to Angola in August.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Angola’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Isaac Francisco Maria dos Anjos, and the Ambassador of Viet Nam to Angola Duong Chinh Chuc, demonstrating the strong commitment of both countries to promoting bilateral agricultural cooperation.

The Vietnamese signatory was Mr. Pham Ngoc Mau, Deputy Director General of International Cooperation Department also Head of the South - South Cooperation Working Group in Agriculture. The Angolan signatory was Mr. Anderson Jerónimo, Head of the Exchange Department of the Office of Studies, Planning and Statistics (GEPE).

The memorandum states Angola’s determination to receive Vietnamese investment in agriculture and forestry and to implement cooperation projects over the next three years.

Minister Isaac Maria dos Anjos expressed a strong commitment, creating new momentum for the bilateral cooperation process. Accordingly, Angola is set to become a key partner in Viet Nam’s expansion of South - South Cooperation in Africa.

Within the framework of the working visit from December 9 to 14, the South - South Working Group held two important meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Angola, moving toward agreement on a number of key areas of cooperation.

In the first three years, projects will focus on the production of rice, cassava, and soybeans, as well as forestry development. The two sides agreed to step up the training of Angolan technical staff in Viet Nam, while also dispatching Vietnamese experts to Angola to provide on-site training and exchange practical experience.

The Angolan side expressed strong consensus with Viet Nam’s project proposals. In particular, the rice project in Lunda Norte province was identified as the top priority. In parallel, cooperation will include technology transfer, technical support for smallholder farmers, and the training of national human resources at the master’s and doctoral levels in Vietnam within the framework of South - South Cooperation.

From December 21 to 27, 2025, Angola will send 10 technical officers to Viet Nam to participate in a training course. In return, Viet Nam will dispatch a delegation of experts to Angola to assess project implementation conditions, serving as a basis for the preparation of technical reports.

With the approval of the pre-feasibility study by the Angolan side, Angola's interest in implementing the request for support to the Vietnamese side through diplomatic channels.

The first memorandum of agreement on cooperation signed by the South - South Cooperation Working Group in Agriculture is seen as opening up new prospects for Viet Nam - Angola agricultural cooperation in a more practical and results-oriented manner, while also helping to affirm Viet Nam’s increasingly prominent role in ensuring global food security.