Namibia, Angola put trade at centre of summit
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will travel to Angola from 18 to 20 October for the inaugural Angola-Namibia Bi-National Commission (BNC), as the two countries seek to deepen trade, investment and regional cooperation.
The commission will culminate in a Heads of State Summit in Luanda on 19 October, co-chaired by Nandi-Ndaitwah and her Angolan counterpart, President João Lourenço.
The meeting will bring together the two governments to review progress in bilateral cooperation, address outstanding matters and agree on practical measures to advance shared development priorities.
The visit will also include the Angola-Namibia Business Forum on 19 October, aimed at strengthening commercial ties and promoting cross-border investment. According to Namibia’s Ministry of International Relations and Trade, 95 Namibian businesses have expressed interest in participating in the forum and its business-to-business engagements.
The inaugural commission follows a decision by the fifth Joint Commission of Cooperation to elevate bilateral relations to a mechanism co-chaired by the two heads of state.
An agreement establishing the BNC was signed on 14 July 2019, reflecting the countries’ commitment to strengthening longstanding ties and implementing projects to increase trade and people-to-people relations.
A ministerial session will precede the summit on 18 October, co-chaired by Namibia’s Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, and Angola’s Minister of External Relations, Téte António.
Senior officials from both countries are scheduled to meet on 15 and 16 October to prepare for the commission.
The agenda includes agriculture, trade and investment, transboundary energy and water, transport and cross-border infrastructure, defence and security, and border and immigration management.
The commission is intended to provide a high-level platform for translating bilateral commitments into practical cooperation, particularly in areas with the potential to expand trade and support economic development in both countries.
