Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs, Nararya Soeprapto, met with Angola's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Esmeralda Mendonca, at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta on Monday, according to the ASEAN Secretariat. The meeting focused on ways to enhance engagement between the 10-member regional bloc and the Southern African nation.
The visit marked one of the highest-level interactions between Angola and ASEAN in recent years. Mendonca's trip to the ASEAN headquarters signals Angola's interest in establishing more structured ties with Southeast Asia's regional organisation, which collectively represents a combined GDP of approximately US$3.8 trillion.
Angola, Africa's second-largest oil producer and a significant diamond exporter, has pursued a foreign policy strategy of diversifying its international partnerships beyond its traditional Western and Chinese economic relationships. In recent years, the government in Luanda has sought stronger engagement with Asian markets and multilateral institutions, including ASEAN.
ASEAN has maintained an increasing diplomatic footprint in Africa. The bloc holds formal dialogue relations with South Africa and engages with several other African nations through sectoral dialogue partnerships and cooperation frameworks. Trade between ASEAN and African countries has grown steadily over the past decade, driven primarily by demand for energy resources, agricultural commodities, and manufactured goods.
Individual ASEAN member states also maintain bilateral ties with Angola. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have diplomatic missions in Luanda and have pursued trade and investment links in Angola's oil, gas, and construction sectors. Malaysian energy companies have maintained a presence in Angola's petroleum industry, while Thai agribusiness firms have explored opportunities in the country's agricultural sector.
The meeting at the ASEAN Secretariat did not produce a specific joint statement or announce new initiatives, according to the ASEAN readout. Both sides described the talks as an exchange of views on strengthening the bilateral relationship.
Nararya Soeprapto, an Indonesian career diplomat who assumed the role of Deputy Secretary-General for Community and Corporate Affairs in 2024, oversees the ASEAN Secretariat's corporate services, public outreach programmes, and community-building initiatives. His portfolio includes managing administrative coordination across the organisation's departments and facilitating engagement with non-governmental stakeholders.
Monday's meeting comes ahead of several significant diplomatic milestones for ASEAN. The bloc's Secretary-General, Kao Kim Hourn, is scheduled to lead a delegation to the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan, Russia, on 18 June, marking 35 years of ASEAN-Russia dialogue relations. ASEAN is also preparing for the ASEAN Summit later this year, where external relations and trade partnerships are expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
Sources: asean.org
