Tanzania and Angola Sign MOUs for Cooperation in Aviation, Communications, and Meteorology; New Embassy Will Follow

Tanzania will reopen its embassy in Luanda, Angola, as part of efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties and expand bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and other strategic sectors.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced the move at the press conference during the State Visit of João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, held at State House in Dar es Salaam on 29th October 2026.

President Lourenço’s state visit is the first by an Angolan President since the country’s founding leader, the late Dr. António Agostinho Neto, visited Tanzania in 1979.

Addressing a joint news conference, President Samia said bilateral trade remained low despite longstanding ties and the opportunities available in both markets.

To expand trade, Tanzania invited Angola to source agricultural produce from its market, while identifying opportunities to import Angolan petroleum products and fertilisers.

The two countries also agreed to pursue the interconnection of Angola’s Benguela Railway and TAZARA through Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The link will facilitate freight transport between the Atlantic port of Lobito and the Indian Ocean port of Dar es Salaam.

On air connectivity, President Samia said the two countries intend to establish direct flights, enabling travel without transit through third countries, while in the energy sector, the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) had begun assessing the prospects for investment in Angola’s Lobito Refinery.

The two countries also agreed to exchange expertise in mineral value addition and strengthen the technical capacity of specialists and small-scale miners to derive greater benefits from their mineral resources.

For his part, President Lourenço said the current leadership of both countries has a responsibility to build on their historic friendship by advancing economic growth and improving living standards.

On health cooperation, President Lourenço said Angola seeks to recruit Tanzanian health professionals on contract to address personnel shortages in its expanding hospital network, adding that Angola will also cooperate with Tanzania through exchanges of expertise and training at medical education institutions, alongside efforts to improve maternal and child health services.

“However rich our countries may be in resources, we cannot develop our economies and improve our people’s lives on our own, ” President Lourenço said, underscoring the importance of African countries drawing on their respective capabilities to address development challenges.

The leaders also witnessed the signing of agreements and memoranda of understanding providing for cooperation in aviation, communications, and meteorology.

In April 2025, the two countries signed an MoU to boost investment and economic ties, focusing on key sectors, including agriculture, tourism, and industrial development.