Angola Plays a Vital Role in India's Energy Security, India Can Supply High-Speed Vande Bharat Trains to Angola: President Murmu

Luanda, Angola: President Droupadi Murmu highlighted India's advancements in rail technology and the importance of skill development during bilateral talks with Angolan President João Manuel Goncalves Lourenco in Luanda, signalling a focus on technology and youth empowerment in India-Angola cooperation.

"Made in India Vande Bharat high-speed trains are revolutionising our rail sector. We can also supply such trains to Angola. Both our countries have a high youth population. It is essential that our youth acquire relevant skills for the future," President Murmu said, underlining the potential for technological collaboration and knowledge sharing.

The discussions centred on exploring opportunities for cooperation in high-speed rail systems, showcasing India's expertise and highlighting how Angola could benefit from advanced infrastructure solutions.

President Murmu stressed India's expertise in these sectors and expressed readiness to work closely with Angola to harness these opportunities for mutual growth. She placed particular emphasis on capacity building, training, digital public infrastructure, defence cooperation, and reforms of the United Nations Security Council, connecting technological and developmental collaboration with global governance priorities.

In addition to developmental and technological cooperation, President Murmu applauded Angola's commitment to sustainable development, congratulating the country for joining two major global initiatives led by India, the Global Biofuels Alliance and the International Big Cat Alliance, demonstrating how India-Angola cooperation extends to environmental and biodiversity efforts.

To formalise these collaborations, both sides are expected to sign and exchange several Memoranda of Understanding, cementing agreements across the identified sectors and paving the way for enhanced bilateral engagement.

President Droupadi Murmu highlighted the strategic significance of Angola in India's energy sector during bilateral talks with her Angolan counterpart João Manuel Goncalves Lourenco.

"Angola plays a vital role in India's energy security. India is a major buyer of Angola's oil and gas. Our oil and gas companies are interested in entering into long-term purchase contracts with Angola," President Murmu said. She added, "Additionally, Indian oil and gas companies are interested in investing in onshore and offshore upstream projects in Angola."

The President also emphasised India's expertise in petroleum refining and expressed interest in exploring opportunities in Angola.

"India is a leading petroleum refining country, and we are interested in investing in various refinery projects in Angola," she said.

Beyond energy, President Murmu highlighted potential cooperation in strategic minerals and emerging technologies. "Indian companies are also capable of exploring critical and rare earth minerals in Angola. This cooperation can pave the way for partnerships in areas such as electric vehicles, semiconductor technology, and AI," she added.

President Murmu began her visit with a grand ceremonial welcome at the Presidential Palace in Luanda, including a Guard of Honour. This reception reflected the significance of her visit and set the stage for comprehensive discussions aimed at strengthening the multifaceted partnership between the two nations.

Building on this ceremonial beginning, the talks emphasised expanding cooperation across sectors that reflect the shared priorities and complementarities of India and Angola.

Key areas of potential collaboration highlighted included sharing parliamentary best practices, agriculture, particularly in seeds and fertilisers, oil exploration and refining, connectivity and transport infrastructure, rare earth minerals, and diamond processing.

President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Luanda, the capital of Angola, on Sunday, undertaking the first-ever state visit to the Southern African nation by an Indian head of state.

This visit forms the first leg of her two-nation tour from November 8 to 11, at the invitation of Angolan President João Lourenco, reflecting India's commitment to deepening ties with Africa and the Global South.

After concluding her engagements in Angola, President Murmu will travel to Botswana from November 11 to 13, at the invitation of President Duma Gideon Boko. This leg will also mark the first-ever state visit by an Indian head of state to Botswana and aims to enhance collaboration in trade, investment, technology, energy, agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals, defence, and people-to-people exchanges.

The historic trip builds on earlier high-level interactions, including President Lourenco's visit to New Delhi in May, during which India approved a USD 200 million Line of Credit to support the modernisation of Angola's defence forces.

MEA Secretary of Economic Relations Sudhakar Dalela said the tour underscores India's focus on strengthening cooperation across political, economic, developmental, and cultural sectors. He added that the discussions will also cover the potential translocation of cheetahs from Botswana under Project Cheetah in India.