Prime Minister Fiala holds talks with Angola’s President Lourenço at the Kramář Villa

On Wednesday 21 February 2024, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, welcomed the President of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, at the Kramář Villa. The key topics of the meeting were economic cooperation, support for Czech exports and investments, and defence-industrial cooperation.

The Czech Republic is interested in taking cooperation with African countries to a new level and building stronger partnerships in these regions as well. In 2022, Prime Minister Fiala’s government adopted the Strategy for Cooperation with Africa. The cooperation between the two countries has a tradition dating back to the times of Czechoslovakia.

“We talked about economic cooperation, support for Czech exports and investments, and defence-industrial cooperation. We see Angola as one of the most promising countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Czech companies are interested in operating in Angola in the fields of agriculture, transport, health care and energy,” said Prime Minister Fiala after the meeting.

In the future, Czech companies in Angola could also participate in the Lobito rail corridor project - a 1,300 km railway from the port of Lobito to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the healthcare sector, Czech companies have extensive experience in supplying hospital beds, ICU equipment and devices with the latest technologies. According to Prime Minister Fiala, the Czech Republic can also offer Angola agricultural and food processing machinery.

At the same time, Czech companies have extensive experience in modernising and repairing older military equipment and could thus cooperate in modernising Angola’s armed forces.
Fiala said the Czech Republic is also proud that Czechoslovakia helped Angola in its successful struggle for independence in the past.