H.E.M. Cynthia G. Efird
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Angola

Angola - 03/15/2005
Looking at the big figures, in 2003 there was an estimate that 47% of the total Angolan exports went to the U.S. and 12% of total imports came from the U.S. Can you give us some projected growth rates for the next few years?

We expect that the amount of exports to the US will increase. Of course, most of those exports concern oil and the new project in liquefied natural gas. We hope as well that imports from the US into Angola will increase. Sectors that can be interesting are most likely to be agriculture products, as well as semi-finished products and equipment for airplanes, electricity generation, agriculture, rail and construction machinery. We think that those are the prime fields right now. We are looking forward to having two business delegations here over the next few months. One would be from the United States , sponsored by the US-Angolan Chamber of Commerce. We are expecting it in early May. The other delegation will be American business people from South Africa and that one is scheduled for late July. So, we think all these initiatives prove that there is increasing interest in investment in exports and imports. Direct investment itself has also increased, especially in the energy sector. Growth will be more than 10 billion dollars over the next five years. Finally, we were very pleased to see that the Angolan government has approved the LNG project.

Can you give us your own overview about the current bilateral relations between Angola and the U.S.? What is the personal style that you would like to implement in your position as US Ambassador to further strengthen the relationship?

The relationship with Angola has been steadily improving. The meetings between President Dos Santos and President Bush in May 2004 marked how productive that relationship is.
We have a series of ongoing discussions with Angola on central issues including transparency, possible cooperation on debt relief, and the steps that Angola should take to move forward with international financial institutions, the IMF and the World Bank.

We are also giving bilateral donor assistance to Angola. We are now working with the Angolan government to move from a focus on humanitarian emergency aid, mainly food aid, to a program that will encourage local development. We are also working closely with the Angolans on regional and multilateral issues, including in the Congo and with the African Union.

Finally, we work with the Angolans on a full range of human rights issues. We are interested in their progress toward holding elections in 2006, and we are interested in the Angolan people being able to take advantage more and more of the richness of this country.

Is the Embassy actively doing anything to promote the advantages and to attract companies towards this country?

One of the things that we are working on with the Angolan government is to make it easier for business people to work here. The World Bank has shown that there has been a reduction in the number of days it takes to set up a business here. The Angolan government has shown interest in taking some of the difficult steps in improving the conditions for foreign businesses to work here. We ask American business people who are working here already and the US-Angolan Chamber of Commerce to encourage new investment and new business opportunities.

In your opinion, what are the sectors in Angola that offer the most opportunities for American businesses?

One of the main incentives for American business people to work here is the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which has been extended for a second year in Angola. This is an opportunity for more than 95 percent of exports from Angola to enter the United States without any import duties. So far I think it is fair to say that there are neither local business nor US business or any other foreign business people that are taking full advantage of those opportunities. We have had a series of seminars and other training programs to help let people know about these opportunities.

Although they are taking advantage of export opportunities in the petroleum sector, Angola would like to encourage investment in some of the other sectors. We know the Angolan government is extremely interested in diversifying their economy beyond oil, energy, and diamonds. The sectors that they have mentioned to us are the following: agrobusiness, fisheries, energy outside of oil, railways, construction, and mining.

What do you think are Angola’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?

I would say the greatest strength of Angola is its resources, both natural and human. I have been very impressed since I have been here with the entrepreneurial spirit of Angolans. There are two major weaknesses. After 27 years of war, the level of education of Angolans is low. The infrastructure is also difficult -- there are very few good roads; they are just now being renovated or reconstructed. It is only fair to say that another large problem is corruption and lack of transparency. However, there have been some steps taken by the Angolan government, for example the creation of a special tribunal that is responsible for punishing people who have misused state funds. However, there is a lot more that has to be done. This problem of corruption, which is of course not only a problem in Angola, is a severe hindrance to business investment of all kinds.

I keep saying Angola is at a crossroads, and if it takes the road that leads to greater transparency, towards decreasing corruption, toward cooperation with international economic institutions, and takes full advantage of its people’s strengths and creativity by giving them a full share of the benefits, then Angola in 10 years could be a major powerhouse, not just in Southern Africa, but in all of Africa. This country has everything necessary to become an important economic power. We start with oil and diamonds, but every mineral that I can think of is available here. It has a diversified climate, so it is possible to grow everything from tropical crops to moderate-climate crops. It has hydropower capability, with major rivers that flow year round. Angola has everything that it needs to empower its people and to become a real economic power. The question is whether the government will put in place basic policies that will manage and increase these strengths.

In 10 years, Angola could be a country that is exporting food to the entire region. It could be a country that is a central member of a power grid supplying electricity from Congo down through to South Africa. It could also be a major supplier of agricultural and other products.

According to your CV, you have worked for more than 26 years on public diplomacy, trade, conflict resolution and democracy development in Africa and Europe. How do you use this experience for your daily tasks?

I think that my focus here reflects that background. I am very interested in economics, and I have enjoyed working with the World Bank representatives and the IMF.

Also, having worked on trade issues, I am very concerned that the US provide a full range of incentives to Angola. One of the things that we are working very hard on here is greater freedom and professionalism of the media. Journalist training and encouraging wider accessibility to radio in this country are extremely important.

Finally, in Kosovo, Russia, and Mozambique, I have worked on elections, and I hope that that background will make it easier for me to help support Angolan elections.

We have read that you had an official meeting with the president, could you tell us a bit more about your relationship?

Yes. We talked at length about several topics, one of them being elections. Currently, the National Assembly is working on election laws. Only after those laws are passed will it be possible for Angola to ask for international assistance. I believe the international community, including the UN and other donors, is ready to assist Angola.

Another subject of discussion was regional cooperation. Angola is playing a very useful role in the Congo, providing military training there, and we certainly are assisting there as well. We also talked about possibilities for providing additional assistance in the form of military cooperation, mainly with regards to peacekeeping training. We also talked about our ongoing programs for economic development.

What would be your final message to the readers of U.S. News & World Report that will get them interested in the Republic of Angola?

I would say that the general understanding of Americans about the situation in Angola is not quite up to date. I think that there is a need for additional contact between Angolans and the United States. They will benefit the United States, and I think it will be good for the Angolan people as well, by assisting their government to make difficult choices necessary to move forward.

Transcripition done by Inge Van Cauwenberg