Luanda — Angola and the United States of America (USA) on Thursday signed the Minutes and the Cooperation Roadmap 2026-2031, on Thursday, in Luanda. Such legal instruments will allow closer collaboration between the Armed Forces of the two countries.
The signing of the documents took place during the closing session of the 2nd Meeting of the Angola - United States of America Joint Defense Cooperation Committee (DEFCOM), which the Angolan capital hosted from the 5th to the 6th of this month.
The protocols were signed by the Secretary of State for Defense Industry, Afonso Neto, and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (ASD/ISA), Daniel Zimmerman, in their capacity as co-chairs of the Committee.
With the approval of the Minutes of the 2nd DEFCOM Meeting and the Roadmap for Bilateral Defense and Security Cooperation, the parties have established priorities and strategies to guide the implementation of future joint initiatives between the two countries.
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Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary of State for Defense Industry, Afonso Neto, noted that defense cooperation is a pillar of the partnership between the two nations, as well as a key instrument for promoting peace, stability, and security at bilateral, regional, and international levels.
In his view, the results reflected in the review of activities carried out between June 2024 and June 2026 demonstrate that DEFCOM serves as a genuine platform for strategic coordination, enabling the execution of concrete initiatives in areas such as training, institutional capacity building, interoperability, and technical-military cooperation.
According to the Secretary of State, this track record confirms that when there is political trust, a strategic vision, and recognition of each state's interests, it is possible to build cooperation that is solid, sustainable, and oriented toward positive results.
Understanding the priorities and the defense strategy of the United States of America is essential for identifying areas of convergence, developing mutually beneficial initiatives, and strengthening transparent dialogue regarding the challenges characterizing the current international security environment.
He emphasized that, in a context marked by rapid technological evolution, the growing complexity of transnational threats, and the need to bolster state resilience, cooperation proposals in the fields of education, maritime security, special operations, cyber defense, military health, and intelligence take on special importance.
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These areas, he noted, represent critical capabilities for modern armed forces and are increasingly important for protecting strategic infrastructure, ensuring secure communications, conducting territorial surveillance, responding to emergencies, supporting military operations, and preserving national sovereignty.
