Secretary Pompeo will travel to Angola on February 16 and 17 to meet with government officials, representatives of civil society and the business community to promote increased trade and investment, underscore US support for political and economic reform in Angola , and emphasize the support that the US offers the Angolan people. The secretary will also meet with women entrepreneurs and highlight programs funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) designed to reduce mother-to-child transmission of AIDS.

THE USA REAFFIRM ITS COMMITMENT TO ANGOLA AND THE ANGOLAN PEOPLE IN THEIR FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION AND THE PROMOTION OF DEMOCRACY

• More than a quarter century after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and Angola, the US commitment to Angola remains strong, grounded in common values, mutual support for regional peace and stability, and growing bilateral economic opportunities.
• In September 2017, Angola marked an achievement in its transition to democracy by electing a new president after 38 years. The United States supports President Lourenço’s commitment to the fight against corruption and the implementation of economic and political reforms.

• The U.S. supports Angola in its fight against corruption through a number of initiatives, including the U.S. Department of the Treasury program, launched in March 2019, to enhance Angola’s ability to implement an anti-money laundering and anti-corruption financing regime. terrorism (AML/CFT).

• In Fiscal Year 2019, the United States invested approximately $34 million in Angola to support life-saving health programs by combating malaria, polio and HIV/AIDS. With the assistance provided by the President’s Malaria Initiative, deaths from malaria have been halved in the past three years.

• US exchange programs have helped create more than 900 new Angolan leaders. Approximately 300 alumni have graduated through the Mandela-Washington Scholarship and Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Centers, and the YALI digital network has 10,000 Angolan members.

• The United States provides technical assistance and training to, among others, the Investigative Police, the Ministry of the Environment, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Institute for Biodiversity and Conservation to combat illegal poaching and wildlife trafficking in Angola; partner with local NGOs to improve community engagement in combating wildlife crime; and coordinate with key government authorities [responsible for] transboundary land and water resources.

THE US AND ANGOLA WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE REGIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY

• Angola is an essential partner in promoting peace and stability in central and southern Africa. Earlier this month, President Lourenço hosted a quadripartite summit with his counterparts from Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to reduce tensions in the Great Lakes region. In 2017, Angola deployed peacekeeping forces to the Southern African Development Community’s stabilization mission in Lesotho.

• The US Department of Defense has improved its relations with Angola’s security institutions since the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2017 with the Angolan Minister of Defense, focusing on improving maritime security, medical readiness and management programs health, English language teaching, professional military education and other technical training in Angola.

• In July 2019, the United States and Angola signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Security and Public Order that facilitated police cooperation, opened new avenues for training, and accelerated the exchange of information between the U.S. Department of State and Justice and the Angolan Security and Information Service (Serviço de Informação de Angola), as well as with the Ministry of the Interior, which includes the National Police of Angola.

• Since 1995, the United States has contributed more than $134 million to humanitarian demining and munitions destruction, clearing more than 26,000 antipersonnel mines and 46,900 pieces of active explosives.

PROMOTING EFFORTS TO INCREASE BILATERAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT

• US companies have significant investments in Angola, especially in the energy sector. GE, ExxonMobil, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Caterpillar, Chevron, Cummins, TechnipFMC and Tidewater are all represented in the country.

• In 2019, a consortium led by Chevron announced plans to invest more than US$2 billion in exploring new offshore natural gas fields and increasing production from existing fields, largely thanks to the economic reforms of the Angolan government and the efforts to attract investment.

• In addition to US oil companies, US food companies and franchises have made major investments in Angola, supporting the development of local supply chains.

• The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM – Banco de Exportação e Importação dosUSA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Angola, in April 2019, with the purpose of exploring guarantees of up to 4 billion dollars in support of exports from USA to Angola.

• The Angolan government recognizes the importance of addressing corruption concerns and improving the business environment. The improvement in Angola’s anti-corruption efforts is reflected in its 19-place rise in the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index – Transparency International.

Source: site da embaixada dos Estados Unidos em Luanda, Angola