The Portuguese ambassador in Maputo, Jorge Monteiro, estimated on Tuesday (25) that approximately 20 agreements will be signed during the summit between the Governments of Portugal and Mozambique, scheduled for 8 and 9 December. The expectation covers several areas of bilateral cooperation, according to the diplomat.
“The expectation is high. We hope that around two dozen bilateral agreements will be signed in various fields, from finance, cooperation on public administration reform, digitalisation, renewable energies — a wide range of areas,” said Jorge Monteiro.
The diplomat was speaking during the presentation of the World Bank’s project portfolio and public procurement procedures, an event organised with the support of the Embassy of Portugal and AICEP – Portugal’s Trade & Investment Agency. According to him, the overall value of the projects and business deals likely to be concluded at the summit is still under assessment.
“We also believe that new instruments to support financing for the Mozambican economy will be discussed. We have strong expectations that conditions will be created to relaunch the bilateral relationship in the economic sphere and the broader cooperation we maintain in Mozambique,” the diplomat stated.
Jorge Monteiro added that Mozambican companies are expected to start investing in Portugal, alongside the Portuguese private sector, which already has around 500 companies operating in Mozambique. This dynamic aims to strengthen economic exchange between the two countries. On the sidelines of the summit, a business forum will take place between Mozambican and Portuguese companies to showcase opportunities in both markets and facilitate future business partnerships. The goal is to deepen bilateral economic ties in a lasting way.
“We want to go further for two fundamental reasons: Portuguese companies know the Mozambican reality well, they speak the same language, and they have long-standing knowledge of the country. Our presence is not temporary; it is a long-term commitment,” the ambassador emphasised.
At the 5th Mozambique–Portugal Summit, held in September 2022 in Maputo, 18 agreements and memoranda were signed. These covered sectors such as agriculture, education, justice, health, heritage and culture, the Portuguese School of Mozambique, the promotion of the Portuguese language, business financing, and job creation in Cabo Delgado, a province affected by terrorist attacks since 2017.
Source: Lusa
