The Minister for Africa spoke about how the UK and Angola are
working together to drive growth and tackle shared challenges.
"Looking around this room, I see people who have spent years
building connections between our countries.
People who understand that strong partnerships are built through
trust, shared ambition and long-term commitment.
Like many of you, I've cared about Africa, deeply, for a long
time.
I still remember the optimism and sense of shared purpose in
2005, when governments, charities, campaigners and citizens came
together to make the case that Africa's future matters to all of
us.
That effort culminated at Gleneagles, where world leaders made
ambitious commitments to reduce debt, tackle diseases like HIV,
get more children into school and back good governance.
At its heart, it was about people, opportunity and the belief
that where you are born should not determine what you can become.
Those values remain as important today as they were then. But the
world, and Africa, have changed. And few countries illustrate
that better than Angola.
New challenges have emerged, and so have extraordinary
opportunities. As the new Minister for Africa, I want to bring
that same sense of partnership and shared purpose to this role,
supporting African solutions to African challenges and helping
ensure that Africa's extraordinary assets deliver for the people
and communities who call the continent their home.
Last year, Angola marked fifty years of independence.
A milestone that invites reflection not only on how far a country
has come, but where it wants to go next.
Over those fifty years, Angola has faced enormous challenges. The
legacy of conflict is still felt today.
But when I look at Angola, I see a country focused on the future.
A country opening its economy.
Attracting investment.
And creating new opportunities beyond oil, in sectors from
agriculture and energy to mining and infrastructure.
That is why the UK's partnership with Angola matters.
Not because one country has all the answers and the other has all
the questions.
But because both of our countries have something to contribute.
The United Kingdom brings expertise in finance, infrastructure,
technology and innovation.
Angola brings talent, resources, ambition and a clear vision for
economic transformation.
And when those strengths come together, we can achieve far more
than either of us could alone.
We can already see the partnership making a difference.
We see it in infrastructure projects supported by UK expertise
and finance.
We see it in hospitals, roads, electricity networks and flood
defences that are helping communities today while creating
opportunities for future generations.
We see it in the work of organisations such as HALO Trust and
Mines Advisory Group whose demining efforts are helping families
return safely to their land, and farmers grow their crops without
fear.
And we see it in projects that connect communities, markets and
investment across the region.
The Lobito Corridor is one example.
Of course, it is about railways and transport.
But infrastructure only matters when it connects people to
opportunity.
Connecting communities to markets.
Creating new jobs and unlocking economic potential.
And helping create the conditions for long-term growth across the
region.
And perhaps that is the real question for all of us gathered here
today:
How do we more quickly turn the opportunities into lasting
prosperity?
How do we make sure growth is not measured only in numbers, but
in the lives it improves?
And how do we continue building a partnership between Angola and
the UK that delivers for future generations?
Those are questions neither of our countries can answer alone.
But they are questions we can answer together.
There is an Angolan proverb that says: To be sure that your
friend is a friend, you must go with him on a journey, travel
with him day and night, go with him near and far.
The United Kingdom is proud to be with Angola on this journey.
Day and night. Near and far. Today, tomorrow and for the years to
come.
Thank you very much."
