Portugal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday that the country aims to accelerate visa processing to improve mobility between Angolan and Portuguese citizens. To achieve this, Portugal will deploy 45 specialists to key consular posts.
Paulo Rangel made this announcement in Luanda after meeting with Angolan President Joao Lourenço at the Presidential Palace. The meeting discussed the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro to Angola on July 23 and highlighted the strong bilateral relations between the two nations.
Rangel emphasized that Montenegro’s visit will focus on economic issues, aiming to foster dialogue and investment between Angolan and Portuguese business communities.
“Cooperation is robust,” Rangel stated.
When questioned about immigration policy updates, Rangel clarified that neither the law nor the mobility agreement had changed. He identified four priorities, with the primary focus on the mobility of CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) citizens.
“All CPLP citizens receive special treatment due to the mobility agreement, which we need to advance and enhance,” Rangel said.
He acknowledged the delays in visa processing and the existing bottlenecks, noting that Portugal will send 45 specialists to CPLP consulates to expedite the process and ensure effective mobility.
“Portugal urgently needs labor, and our partner countries must be prioritized,” he added.
Rangel also mentioned that the Portugal-Angola social security reciprocity agreement would be discussed in his bilateral talks with Angolan Foreign Minister Téte António. He highlighted the importance of ensuring that people can rely on their social rights if they stop working or fall ill in the future.