Angola and Vietnam have signed their first memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation, marking a new step in bilateral ties between the two countries, officials said.
The agreement was concluded during a Vietnamese working visit to Angola by the South-South Agricultural Cooperation Working Group and was signed with Angola’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, according to Vietnam Agriculture News.
The memorandum aims to implement the Vietnam–Angola Agricultural Cooperation Action Plan for 2025–2030, which was signed in August as part of celebrations marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Under the deal, both sides committed to launching projects during the first three years of the action plan, focusing on rice, cassava and soybean production, as well as forestry development. Vietnam will train Angolan technicians and deploy experts to Angola to support technology transfer and assist small-scale farmers.
The programme will prioritise rice production in Angola’s Lunda Norte province.
As part of the cooperation, Angola will send 10 technical officers to Vietnam for training from December 21 to 27, 2025, while Vietnamese experts will visit Angola to assess project conditions and prepare technical reports, the report said.
Vietnam is a major global rice producer and exporter, ranking among the world’s top suppliers alongside India. Angola, by contrast, is heavily reliant on food imports, ranking as southern Africa’s second-largest food importer after South Africa.
According to data compiled by UNCTAD, Angola’s food import bill averaged about $2.6 billion a year between 2021 and 2023, with key imports including rice, wheat, poultry, palm oil and sugar.
Angolan authorities say the partnership with Vietnam is intended to modernise agricultural and forestry value chains, boost domestic production and reduce dependence on food imports.
Background to Angola-Vietnam bilateral relations
Angola and Vietnam share a long-standing relationship rooted in Cold War-era solidarity, which has gradually evolved into a pragmatic partnership focused on economic and technical cooperation.
Diplomatic ties date back to 1975, when Vietnam recognised Angola shortly after it gained independence from Portugal. During Angola’s post-independence civil war, Vietnam was among the socialist-aligned countries that supported the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), forging political links that remain influential.
In recent years, the relationship has been reframed around South–South cooperation, with both governments seeking to translate historic ties into concrete development outcomes. Energy, agriculture, education and technical training have emerged as priority areas, reflecting Angola’s push to diversify its oil-dependent economy and Vietnam’s strategy of exporting agricultural expertise.
Vietnam’s experience in transforming itself from a food-deficit country into one of the world’s leading rice producers and exporters has made it an attractive partner for Angola, which remains heavily reliant on food imports despite vast arable land and water resources.
High-level exchanges have increased, culminating in the adoption of the Vietnam–Angola Agricultural Cooperation Action Plan for 2025–2030, signed in August during celebrations marking 50 years of diplomatic relations. The plan reflects a shift from political symbolism to implementation-driven cooperation.
Trade between the two countries remains modest but is expected to expand as Angola seeks investment, technology transfer and skills development, particularly in agriculture and forestry. For Vietnam, deeper engagement with Angola offers a gateway to southern Africa and aligns with its broader outreach to African markets.
The new agricultural memorandum is widely seen as a test case for whether the two countries can convert historic solidarity into sustainable economic partnership, with officials on both sides framing food security and rural development as shared strategic priorities.
