Luanda, April 30, 2026 (Lusa) - Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, arrives in Angola’s capital on Thursday for a visit as part of an African tour including South Africa, Kenya and Zambia focusing on economic relations.

The visit programme, which coincides with the two countries' 50 years of diplomatic relations, includes talks on Friday with his Angolan counterpart, Téte Antonio, on bilateral cooperation.

Before the trip, the website of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) published an article by Motegi. He said that "in a world in turmoil," the vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific was becoming "a vital compass pointing the way forward" for Japan and Africa.

The minister said "critical minerals, oil and other natural resources of the African continent are essential for the economic security of the international community, including Japan, and hold the key to Africa's own sustainable growth."

Angola and Japan established diplomatic relations in September 1976. Motegi’s visit is the first by Japan’s foreign minister to Luanda in six years, after Taro Kono’s trip in 2019, according to MOFA data.

Japan’s economic cooperation with Angola included, by the end of the 2023 fiscal year, loans of 23.6 billion yen (€126.2 million), donations of 43.5 billion yen (€232.6 million) and technical cooperation worth 8.5 billion yen (€45.4 million), under a technical cooperation agreement signed in October 2019.

Bilateral trade reached about $200 million (€171 million) in 2024, according to data from Angola’s General Tax Administration (AGT, the national body responsible for taxes and customs). RCR/LYT // ADB.

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