Portugal and Angola strengthen economy of the sea cooperation

Portugal and Angola reinforced cooperation in the economy of the sea through a memorandum signed in Lisbon by the Minister of the Sea of ??Portugal, Ana Paula Vitorino, and the Angolan Minister of Fisheries, Maria Antonieta Baptista, at the end of the forum “Entrepreneurs Portuguese and Angolans together for a sustainable cooperation of the Sea “.

 In a statement to the media, Ana Paula Vitorino stressed that the new agreement provides for “cooperation in all areas of the sea” such as fisheries, aquaculture and fish processing.

“On the one hand we will have, at the level of the public sector, cooperation in formation and, at the level of the private sector, we will give all the support so that partnerships can be established between Angolan and Portuguese entrepreneurs, with the possibility of creating mixed companies”, said the Minister.

 According to Ana Paula Vitorino, it is intended, with this agreement, “to create more business opportunities for the fisheries and fish processing sector, but also to contribute to the growth of the sea economy in Angola and Portugal”.

 Highlighting the fact that this cooperation translates into an “incentive to the private sector” – and the inclusion of Angolans in the programs of technical and scientific research and training in Portugal – the Minister said that this initiative will have a budget of 5 million euros.

 Ana Paula Vitorino also said that a similar memorandum with Cape Verde will be signed later this year to extend cooperation to “oceanic renewable energies and the port sector”.

 The Angolan Minister of Fisheries and the Angolan Sea stressed the importance of all the aspects included in the agreement signed at a time when Angola is “launching a new paradigm” for the fisheries and the sea sector.

“Portugal can give us a great contribution in terms of scientific research, especially in the study of biomass and biodiversity, but also in the study of the fleet, which is necessary,” said Maria Antonieta Baptista.

Emphasizing also the importance of continuous training in the sector of the economy of the sea, the Angolan minister appealed to the Portuguese businessmen to bet on Angola.

“Angola is a sleeping giant in terms of fisheries. Everybody knows the biodiversity of the Angolan seas, it is a question of repaginating the type of investment always taking into account the employability of the Angolans, “he added, adding that his country” is on the same level as receiving Portuguese businessmen to make Angola has great potential in terms of fisheries.”

The memorandum lasted for four years.