Japan-Angola Relations
Japan-Angola Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Working Lunch
May 1, 2026
On May 1, commencing at 9:10 a.m. local time (5:10 a.m. on same day, Japan time) for 50 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with H.E. Mr. Teté António, Minister of External Relations of Angola, during his visit to Angola. On the same day, commencing at 12:50 a.m. local time (10:50 p.m. on the same day, Japan time), Minister MOTEGI held a working lunch with H.E. Mr. José de Lima Mssano, Minister of State for Economic Coordination and H.E. Mr. Teté António, Minister of External Relations.
1. Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
- Minister Antonio expressed his welcome to Minister MOTEGI's visit, and referred to the 50 years of friendly relations since the establishment of diplomatic relationship, and stated his desire to further develop mutually beneficial bilateral relations in various fields including economic relationship. In response, Minister MOTEGI offered his condolences for the recent flood damage in Angola and expressed his gratitude for Angola's contribution as co-chair of TICAD 9.
- Minister Antonio expressed his gratitude for Japan’s cooperation in areas such as landmine clearance, agriculture and public health, as well as human resource development through JICA’s support. He also stated that bilateral relations have been strengthened through State Visit of President Lourenço to Japan in 2023 and high-level exchanges during TICAD 9, as well as through projects such as the Port of Namibe, completed in October last year, and that he would continue to strive for the development of bilateral relations through the TICAD process.
- In addition, Minister Antonio expressed his gratitude for Japan's support, including the yen loan "The Project for Transmission System Reinforcement in Southern Angola" and the grant aid " The Project for the Development of the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Network." He also stated that TICAD, which began in the early 1990s when the international community was pessimistic about the African continent, was the earliest framework for cooperation between Africa and non-regional countries, proving that Japan was among the first to understand Africa's potential, and he highly praised it.
- In response, Minister MOTEGI stated that, as pointed out by Minister Antonio, Japan has built a cooperative relationship with Africa from an early stage, and that based on Japan's past assistance to Angola in areas such as landmine clearance, health, and infrastructure, exchanges between private companies have also become active in recent years. Minister MOTEGI also expressed his wish to expand economic relations in the fields of critical minerals and energy, which Angola possesses in abundance. The two ministers concurred in encouraging Japanese companies to participate in the trading of Angolan crude oil.
2. Working Lunch
- Minister MOTEGI stated that the ties between Japan and Africa have never been more important, and that Japan would like to work with Angola to build a free and open international order based on the rule of law.
- Minister Massano stated that Minister MOTEGI's visit to Angola was very important given the unstable global situation, and that Angola wished to continue cooperation with Japan. He also explained Angola's history of economic development after the end of civil war and its efforts toward economic diversification.
- Minister MOTEGI, together with the two ministers, exchanged views on regional situations, including the situation in the Middle East and the East Asia, and various issues in the international society, such as strengthening the functions of the United Nations, including Security Council reform, and both sides concurred in further strengthening their coordination and cooperation in the international arena.