The Embassy of Portugal in Mozambique is focusing on a new phase of economic, institutional, and business cooperation. It is one of the largest Portuguese diplomatic representations in Africa, and its goal is to deepen a long-standing historical and strategic relationship.
Mozambique and Portugal maintain diplomatic relations that go beyond formal protocols, establishing themselves as permanent bridges of trust, cooperation, and shared ambition. Within this space, the two countries continue to build a historic partnership, increasingly oriented towards the challenges of the economy, investment, mobility, and innovation. In Maputo, this mission is led by the Portuguese Ambassador to Mozambique, Jorge Monteiro, who, despite having taken office relatively recently (July 2025), acknowledges that there is room for a deeper, more dynamic bilateral relationship aligned with future opportunities between the two countries.
How are diplomatic and cooperation relations between Mozambique and Portugal structured, and at what level do they operate?
The Embassy of Portugal in Mozambique is one of the largest Portuguese bilateral embassies in the world and has a very comprehensive structure, with several departments, including a defence attaché, a development cooperation attaché, an economic adviser and representative of AICEP, a security adviser, and a cultural adviser, who is also the director of the Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Portugal in Mozambique and coordinates activities related to education. The Portuguese diplomatic network in Mozambique also includes two consulates-general: Maputo, which provides consular support and protection to the Portuguese community in the south, and Beira, with jurisdiction over central and northern Mozambique. We also have an honorary consulate in Nampula.
As an embassy, we seek to develop a horizontal approach in which economic, cultural, and political diplomacy are interconnected. Within economic diplomacy, we rely on a delegation from the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP). The goal is to integrate all these dimensions to support the Portuguese community in Mozambique and strengthen a fluid and dynamic relationship between the two countries at all levels. Each department also maintains links with local counterparts, universities, companies, business associations, and provincial governments. Mozambique is not just Maputo. There is an entire network of interconnected entities and institutions, and our mission is to promote a stronger and more dynamic relationship that contributes to greater rapprochement between the two countries and the well-being of their citizens.
What role does Portugal play as a strategic partner of Mozambique, both nationally and globally?
Portugal and Mozambique share a unique relationship based on historical, cultural, emotional, and family ties built over many years. This richness translates into cooperation across virtually all important sectors of society: economy, culture, education, health, and others. I would say there is practically no relevant sector in which Portugal is not present in some way.
“There is practically no relevant sector of Mozambican society in which Portugal is not present in some form”
We know that Mozambique is currently facing a challenging short-term context, with significant macroeconomic difficulties, particularly currency pressure and limited access to foreign exchange. However, the country continues to offer important medium- and long-term opportunities, especially in energy, agribusiness, fisheries, infrastructure, and digital transformation.
Portugal and Portuguese companies have widely recognised expertise in these areas and already have a significant presence in key sectors of the Mozambican economy, such as hospitality, tourism, and others. However, we believe there is still substantial untapped potential, because Portugal believes in Mozambique and in its future.
So it is, in a sense, a presence with tangible results in the lives of millions of Mozambicans. In what way?
It is a partnership with impact in knowledge transfer, human resource development, and job creation. The Portuguese business presence in Mozambique ranges from around 450 to 500 companies. The vast majority are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), responsible for creating thousands of jobs in the country.
The number of Portuguese expatriate professionals in Mozambique is relatively small. However, there is a historically established Portuguese community that continues to invest in Mozambique because it believes in its potential. It is a resilient community that has endured extreme climate events, the COVID-19 pandemic, and post-electoral unrest.
We are aware of the current difficulties Mozambique faces, but we believe that with the implementation of the economic reforms announced by the Government—improving the business environment, greater fiscal predictability, and incentives for domestic production for export—Portuguese companies can also play a key role in boosting Mozambican exports.
These are the issues Portuguese companies in Mozambique usually identify as crucial for investment. How important is the business environment?
One of the most interesting parts of my work is direct contact with companies. Whenever possible, we visit companies on the ground to better understand their activities, the difficulties they face, and how they view the country’s development opportunities.
I have already been to the north of the country, in Nampula and Cabo Delgado, as well as the south, in Maputo, Gaza, and Inhambane, where I met various companies. During these visits, we identified constraints that hinder business activity and, whenever possible, we conveyed them constructively to Mozambican authorities.
The current Government has shown commitment to a reform agenda, and we believe these reforms could further strengthen Portuguese investment in Mozambique.
Portugal also acts as a gateway for Mozambique to the European Union (EU), defending some of the country’s strategic interests within European institutions.
Absolutely. Portugal and Mozambique maintain very close international coordination. We align positions in multilateral forums such as the United Nations and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). Portugal also seeks to leverage its position within the EU to promote stronger relations between Europe and Mozambique. A clear example is the EU mission in Mozambique, not only in its military component through EUMAM, but also in economic cooperation and development.
For example, on 9 and 10 June, a business forum will be held under the Global Gateway framework, bringing hundreds of European companies, many of them Portuguese, interested in investing in Mozambique. On 11 and 12 June, a conference on renewable energy in Mozambique will also take place, where Portugal will be represented by dozens of companies. In both events, Portugal and the EU’s commitment to Mozambique’s development is evident.
After ten months as ambassador of Portugal to Mozambique, what convinces you that relations are on the right path?
Mozambique recently entered a new political cycle, initially marked by strong social protest after elections. In March 2025, with the launch of an inclusive national dialogue process, the situation began to normalise, allowing the bilateral relationship to fully resume. It was in this context that preparations began for the 6th Portugal–Mozambique Bilateral Summit, held in Porto on 9 December. It was a historic summit, with a record number of government members from both countries: 12 ministers from each side. Twenty-two bilateral agreements were signed in areas such as energy, infrastructure, road safety, education, and digital transformation.
“Portugal and Mozambique have all the conditions to build an even more ambitious, modern, and investment-oriented relationship”
A €500 million credit line was also approved, long requested by the business communities of both countries, currently in its final stages of implementation and expected to be an important tool for further boosting bilateral relations.
There is also a symbolic aspect: both Portugal and Mozambique have recently entered new political cycles, with new generations of leaders who aim to look to the future, build on past decades, and strengthen cooperation.
Given the breadth of the bilateral relationship, there was also a need for an initiative reflecting this diversity of areas. This led to the creation of the “Month of Portugal in Mozambique,” running from 4 May to 19 June, featuring around 30 events in culture, Portuguese language, university cooperation, gastronomy, and sports. The goal is to promote dialogue between both nations, strengthen mutual knowledge, and create new synergies.
The world is undergoing profound changes in the development aid model. Could this global context represent an opportunity for countries like Mozambique?
Without a doubt. We are witnessing a paradigm shift in international development cooperation—from a model based on disinterested aid to one more focused on investment. For Mozambique, this transformation is both a challenge and an opportunity. It is a challenge because it represents a major shift, and Mozambique has been a significant beneficiary of public development aid over recent decades. There is therefore an adjustment required. On the other hand, it is an opportunity because Mozambique has enormous investment potential in all the areas already mentioned. All of them offer major opportunities for attracting foreign investment.
What is needed? I am not in a position to advise the Government of Mozambique, but I would say that what has already been announced politically—an ambitious reform agenda to improve the business environment—will likely be the best formula to attract investment and compensate for this shift from aid to investment.
What priority does human capital development have in the cooperation agenda between Portugal and Mozambique?
Our cooperation is strongly focused on human development. We have a five-year strategic cooperation programme, ending in 2026, worth €185 million. It is our most ambitious and financially robust programme globally, primarily oriented towards education and human resource development.
Under the special access regime to higher education in Portugal, over the past ten years we have welcomed around 3,300 Mozambican students who completed their university studies in Portugal. Of these, around 500 received scholarships from the Camões Institute. We currently have about 90 Mozambicans completing doctoral programmes in Portugal with Portuguese state scholarships.
The Portuguese school is perhaps the most structural pillar of our bilateral cooperation in education. It has 1,600 students, 56% of whom are Mozambican, and demand has been growing year after year.
In a global context marked by the resurgence of conflicts and geopolitical tensions, how do you view the current state of the world?
We are experiencing a period of fragmentation and erosion of the multilateralism achievements of the past seven decades. The United Nations is either paralysed or has seen its capacity for action significantly reduced. In this unpredictable and unstable multilateral framework, new hotspots of violence are emerging in the Middle East, at the heart of Europe, and in Africa.
We must look more decisively at the potential offered by the CPLP, as it brings together countries with key positions across different continents. In Africa, we have six CPLP members, with Angola and Mozambique as the two largest.
We also have Brazil, a major global power, increasingly respected and active. And finally, the smallest member, Timor-Leste. We must see this network of countries with around 300 million citizens as an asset.
When you arrived in Mozambique, what was your first impression?
The first experience is one of great familiarity and hospitality. For Portuguese people living in or visiting Mozambique, what stands out most is the cultural and linguistic proximity, which immediately enables rapid integration. The same applies to Mozambicans in Portugal. In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of Mozambicans living in Portugal, making the relationship more balanced in that regard.
Mozambique is the only Portuguese-speaking country with which we have a social security agreement ensuring that workers’ rights are preserved regardless of where they choose to receive their pension.
Labour mobility is also an important aspect. Portugal currently needs foreign labour. Mozambique, on the other hand, has such labour, and I believe there may be a convergence of interests between the two countries in this area.
Text Pedro Cativelos • Photography Mariano Silva
