Luanda, May 5, 2026 (Lusa) - Around 700 business leaders of various nationalities are participating from Tuesday in the Angola-European Union Business Forum for the Lobito Corridor, in Luanda, to assess private investment opportunities, said the European Union ambassador to Angola.
Rosário Bento Pais, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the meeting, said that 900 business leaders are registered for the forum, which takes place on May 5 and 6, 2026, in Luanda, including 700 in person, with 200 travelling from Europe.
The initiative, organised by the government and the European Union Delegation in Angola, aims to attract private investment and showcase opportunities in the Lobito Corridor, particularly in the agro-industry, transport and logistics, and energy sectors, three areas in which the European Union (EU) and its member states intend to invest and create jobs.
Bento Pais highlighted that the relations between the EU and Angola have deepened in recent years, with the EU being the nation’s main trading and investment partner, and Angola being the fifth-largest destination for Foreign Direct Investment in Africa.
Total trade in goods between Angola and the EU reached €9.5 billion in 2024, and trade in services reached €3.7 billion, showing a growth trend since 2020.
EU foreign direct investment in Angola increased by 21% between 2019 and 2024, from €13.3 billion to €16.2 billion.
She also said that Angola has access to the European market with exemption from customs duties and quotas under the EU’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), with a utilisation rate of preferences above 80% since 2020.
According to her, this "indicates that the country has been making increasing use of its preferential access to the EU market".
She added that the European Union is operating under a new paradigm of cooperation with its partners through the Global Gateway strategy, which has replaced the traditional donor-beneficiary logic with a "genuine partnership of equals".
As an example, she said that the AgrInvest project, currently being prepared in the field of agricultural development in the Lobito Corridor, combines EU funds with financing from European financial institutions to create a dedicated investment window in Angola, with grants and loans for producers and companies.
The Angola-Europe Business Meeting, which served as a platform to welcome and brief European business delegations travelling to Angola for the forum, was organised by the Portugal-Angola Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIPA), in partnership with the Angola-Italy Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the France-Angola and the United Kingdom-Angola Chamber of Commerce, the German Economy Delegation in Angola (AHK Angola), and the Swiss Business Council, Angola.
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