Foreign relations of Angola
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{{Politics of Angola}}
The foreign relations of Angola are based on Angola's strong support of U.S. foreign policy as the Angolan economy is dependent on U.S. foreign aid.
From 1975 to 1989, Angola was aligned with the Eastern bloc, in particular the Soviet Union,{{citation-attribution|1={{Cite web|date=April 2008|title=Angola|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/angola/102976.htm|access-date=2020-10-20|publisher=U.S. Department of State}}}} Libya,{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} and Cuba. Since then, it has focused on improving relationships with Western countries, cultivating links with other Portuguese-speaking countries, and asserting its own national interests in Central Africa through military and diplomatic intervention. In 1993, it established formal diplomatic relations with the United States. It has entered the Southern African Development Community as a vehicle for improving ties with its largely Anglophone neighbors to the south. Zimbabwe and Namibia joined Angola in its military intervention in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Angolan troops remain in support of the Joseph Kabila government. It also has intervened in the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) in support of Denis Sassou-Nguesso in the civil war.
Since 1998, Angola has successfully worked with the United Nations Security Council to impose and carry out sanctions on UNITA.{{citation-attribution|1={{Cite web|date=December 2001|title=Angola|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/angola/19488.htm|access-date=2020-10-20|publisher=U.S. Department of State}}}} More recently, it has extended those efforts to controls on conflict diamonds, the primary source of revenue for UNITA during the Civil War that ended in 2002. At the same time, Angola has promoted the revival of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) as a forum for cultural exchange and expanding ties with Portugal (its former ruler) and Brazil (which shares many cultural affinities with Angola) in particular. Angola is a member of the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA).
Diplomatic relations
List of countries which Angola maintains diplomatic relations with:{{cite web |title=Diplomatic relations between Angola and ... |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/search?ln=en&as=1&m1=p&p1=Diplomatic+relations+between+Angola+and+...&f1=series&op1=a&m2=a&p2=&f2=&op2=a&m3=a&p3=&f3=&dt=&d1d=&d1m=&d1y=&d2d=&d2m=&d2y=&rm=&action_search=Search&sf=year&so=a&rg=50&c=United+Nations+Digital+Library+System&of=hb&fti=0&fti=0 |access-date=18 July 2023 |website=United Nations Digital Library}}{{Cite web |title=Relações Diplomáticas |url=https://mirex.gov.ao/PortalMIREX/#!/politica-externa/relacoes-diplomaticas |access-date=12 April 2023 |website=mirex.gov.ao |language=pt}}
Bilateral relations
= Africa =
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! style="width:12%;" | Formal Relations Began !Notes | ||
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|{{flag|Cape Verde}} | 30 October 1977 | See Angola–Cape Verde relations
Cape Verde signed a friendship accord with Angola in December 1975, shortly after Angola gained its independence. Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau served as stop-over points for Cuban troops on their way to Angola to fight UNITA rebels and South African troops. Prime Minister Pedro Pires sent FARP soldiers to Angola where they served as the personal bodyguards of Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos.{{cite book|last=Lobban|first=Richard|year=1995|title=Cape Verde:Crioulo Colony to Independent Nation|url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio00lobb_0|url-access=registration|pages=[https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio00lobb_0/page/111 111]–112|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810829183}} |
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|{{flag|Democratic Republic of Congo}} | 17 October 1978 | Many thousands of Angolans fled the country after the civil war. More than 20,000 people were forced to leave the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2009, an action the DR Congo said was in retaliation for regular expulsion of Congolese diamond miners who were in Angola illegally. Angola sent a delegation to DR Congo's capital Kinshasa and succeeded in stopping government-forced expulsions which had become a "tit-for-tat" immigration dispute. "Congo and Angola have agreed to suspend expulsions from both sides of the border," said Lambert Mende, DR Congo information minister, in October 2009.{{cite news|title=Congo and Angola 'end expulsions' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8304282.stm|date=13 October 2009|publisher=BBC News|access-date=2009-10-13 | location=London}} "We never challenged the expulsions themselves; we challenged the way they were being conducted – all the beating of people and looting their goods, even sometimes their clothes," Mende said.{{cite news|last=Bearak |first= Barry|title=Congo and Angola Agree to End Expulsions |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/world/africa/14angola.html|date=13 October 2009|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2009-10-13}}
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|{{flag|Kenya}} | See Angola–Kenya relations
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|{{flag|Mozambique}} | 5 July 1975 | See Angola–Mozambique relations
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|{{flag|Namibia}} | 18 September 1990 | See Angola–Namibia relations
Namibia borders Angola to the south. In 1999, Namibia signed a mutual defense pact with its northern neighbor Angola.{{cite web |first=Vincent |last=William |url=http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/publ/opendoc.pdf?tbl=RSDCOI&id=3ae6a6cb8&page=publ |title=Namibia: Situation Report |publisher=United Nations High Commission on Refugees |access-date=2006-08-26 }} This affected the Angolan Civil War that had been ongoing since Angola's independence in 1975. Namibia's ruling party SWAPO sought to support the ruling party MPLA in Angola against the rebel movement UNITA, whose stronghold is in southern Angola, bordering to Namibia. The defence pact allowed Angolan troops to use Namibian territory when attacking Jonas Savimbi's UNITA. |
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|{{flag|Nigeria}} | 15 March 1976 | See Angola–Nigeria relations
Angolan-Nigerian relations are primarily based on their roles as oil exporting nations. Both are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the African Union and other multilateral organizations.
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|{{flag|South Africa}} | 17 May 1994 | See Angola–South Africa relations
Angola-South Africa relations are quite strong as the ruling parties in both nations, the African National Congress in South Africa and the MPLA in Angola, fought together during the Angolan Civil War and South African Border War. They fought against UNITA rebels, based in Angola, and the apartheid-era government in South Africa who supported them. Nelson Mandela mediated between the MPLA and UNITA factions during the last years of Angola's civil war.
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|{{flag|Zimbabwe}} | 15 October 1982 | See Angola–Zimbabwe relations |
= Americas =
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| style="width:15%;" | Country
! style="width:12%;" | Formal Relations Began !Notes | ||
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|{{flag|Argentina}} | 2 June 1979 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 June 1979{{Cite web |title=Diplomatic relations between Angola and Argentina as of 2 June 1979 (United Nations Digital Library) |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1486335?ln=en}}
See Angola–Argentina relations
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|{{flag|Brazil}} | 12 November 1975 | See Angola–Brazil relations
Commercial and economic ties dominate the relations of each country. Parts of both countries were part of the Portuguese Empire from the early 16th century until Brazil's independence in 1822. As of November 2007, "trade between the two countries is booming as never before"[http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40040 ANGOLA-BRAZIL: Portuguese – the Common Language of Trade] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080904014903/http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40040 |date=4 September 2008 }} by Mario de Queiroz, ipsnews.net, 13 November 2007
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|{{flag|Canada}} | 1 February 1978 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 February 1978{{Cite web |title=Diplomatic relations between Angola and Canada as of 1 Feb. 1978 (United Nations Digital Library) |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1486165?ln=en}}
Canada-Angola relations were established in 1978, and Canada is accredited to Angola from its embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe. Ties have grown since the end of the civil war in 2002, with increased engagement in areas of mutual interest. As Chair of the United Nations Security Council's Angola Sanctions Committee, Canada limited the ability of UNITA to continue its military campaign, sanctions helped to bring a ceasefire agreement to end Angola's conflict.
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|{{flag|Cuba}} | 15 November 1975 | See Angola–Cuba relations
During Angola's civil war Cuban forces fought to install a Marxist–Leninist MPLA-PT government, against Western-backed UNITA and FLNA guerrillas and the South-African army.Piero Gleijeses, Conflicting Missions: Havana, Washington and Africa, 1959–1976 {{ISBN|978-0-8078-5464-8}}
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|{{flag|Mexico}} | 20 February 1976 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 February 1976{{Cite web |title=Hoy celebramos el 47 aniversario de relaciones diplomáticas entre México y Angola (Organización gubernamental de México) |url=https://twitter.com/SRE_mx/status/1627659333449428993?s=20}}
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|{{flag|United States}} | 14 July 1994 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 14 July 1994{{Cite web |title=A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country, since 1776: Angola |url=https://history.state.gov/countries/angola}}
See Angola–United States relations From the mid-1980s through at least 1992, the United States was the primary source of military and other support for the UNITA rebel movement, which was led from its creation through 2002 by Jonas Savimbi. The U.S. refused to recognize Angola diplomatically during this period. Relations between the United States of America and the Republic of Angola (formerly the People's Republic of Angola) have warmed since Angola's ideological renunciation of Communism before the 1992 elections.
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|{{flag|Uruguay}} | 6 March 1987 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 March 1987{{Cite web |title=Diplomatic Relations Between Uruguay and Angola as of 6 Mar. 1987 (United Nations Digital Library) |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1638554?ln=en}}
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= Asia =
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| style="width:15%;" | Country
! style="width:12%;" | Formal Relations Began !Notes | ||
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|{{flag|China}} | 12 January 1983 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 January 1983{{Cite web |title=Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between the People's Republic of China and the People's Republic of Angola (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China) |url=https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/gjhdq_665435/2913_665441/2914_663834/2915_663836/200204/t20020425_542636.html}}
Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao visited Angola in June 2006, offering a US$9 billion loan for infrastructure improvements in return for petroleum. The PRC has invested heavily in Angola since the end of the civil war in 2002.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5080626.stm|title=Angola: China's African foothold|publisher=BBC News|access-date=2007-11-19 | date=2006-06-20 | location=London}} João Manuel Bernardo, the current ambassador of Angola to China, visited the PRC in November 2007.{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200711150442.html|title=Angola: Ambassador Considers Relations With China Excellent|publisher=Angola Press Agency via AllAfrica|access-date=2007-11-19}}
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|{{flag|India}} | 2 June 1979 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 June 1979{{Cite web |title=Diplomatic relations between Angola and India as of 2 June 1979 (United Nations Digital Library) |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1486334?ln=en}}
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|{{flag|Israel}} | 16 April 1992 | See Angola–Israel relations
Angola-Israel relations, primarily based on trade and pro-United States foreign policies, are excellent. In March 2006, the trade volume between the two countries amounted to $400 million. In 2005, President José Eduardo dos Santos visited Israel.
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|{{flag|Japan}} | September 1976 | See Angola–Japan relations
Diplomatic relations between Japan and Angola were established in September 1976. Japan has donated towards demining following the civil war.{{Cite news|url=http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/SODA-7SEPJV?OpenDocument|title=Angola: Japan grants USD one million to boost de-mining activity|date=2009-05-26|publisher=ReliefWeb|access-date=2017-07-10|language=en}}
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|{{flag|Pakistan}} | 20 October 1977 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 October 1977
The Government of Angola called for the support of Pakistan for the candidature of Angola to the seat of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, whose election is set for September this year, during the 69th session of the General Assembly of United Nations. On the fringes of the ceremony, the Angolan diplomat also met with officials in charge of the economic and commercial policy of Pakistan, to assess the business opportunities between the two states. It asked to discuss aspects related to the cooperation on several domains of common interest. |
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|{{flag|Philippines}} | 14 September 2001 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 14 September 2001. |
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|{{flag|Turkey}} | 9 July 1980 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 July 1980{{Cite web |title=Diplomatic relations between Angola and Turkey as of 9 July 1980 (United Nations Digital Library) |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1627282?ln=en}}
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|{{flag|Vietnam}} | 12 November 1975 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 November 1975{{Cite web |title=The Republic of Angola (vietnam.gov.vn) |url=https://vietnam.gov.vn/diplomacy-detail-70572?countryId=1185&typeId=1}}
Angola-Vietnam relations were established on 12 November 1975 after Angola gained its independence, when future president of Angola Agostinho Neto visited Vietnam.{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.vietnamembassy-angola.org/nr070521165956/ns070920094601|title=Vietnam – Angola Relations|publisher=Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Angola|access-date=2008-01-04|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728155636/http://www.vietnamembassy-angola.org/nr070521165956/ns070920094601|archive-date=28 July 2011}} Angola and Vietnam have steadfast partners as both transitioned from Cold War-era foreign policies of international communism to pro-Western pragmatism following the fall of the Soviet Union.
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= Europe =
= See also =
References
{{Reflist}}