Luanda: The deepening of economic cooperation, primarily in attracting investment between Angola and the United States, was the central focus of a meeting between Angola's Minister of Foreign Affairs, T©te Ant³nio, and the US charg© d'affaires in Angola, James Story. This meeting, held on Wednesday, highlighted the current state of cooperation and explored new partnership opportunities.

According to Angola Press News Agency, the meeting occurs as Angola gears up to host the Africa-United States Business Summit in June, an event aimed at boosting investment and trade between African nations and the United States. The diplomats discussed expectations for the Summit, emphasizing the importance of diversifying Angola's economy and enhancing political-diplomatic and trade relations between the two nations.

During the discussion, T©te Ant³nio mentioned aspects from his recent phone conversation with US counterpart Marco Rubio in Johannesburg. Currently, trade relations between Angola and the United States are notably significant, especially in the energy sector, along with agriculture, security, and technology domains.

The US stands as one of Angola's primary trading partners, with Angolan oil being a major export to the United States. Conversely, Angola imports various products from the US, including industrial equipment, technology, vehicles, and consumer goods.

American companies such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Halliburton have a substantial presence in Angola's oil and gas exploration sector. This collaboration involves direct investments, technology transfer, and the training of Angolan professionals.

Beyond the oil sector, the United States encourages investments in agriculture, telecommunications, mining, and infrastructure in Angola. The US government is actively promoting partnerships to diversify Angola's economy, aiming to reduce its reliance on oil. Additionally, American companies have expressed interest in modernizing Angola's agricultural sector.

Angola has also participated in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a US initiative providing facilities for the export of African products to the American market.