Joint statement from second Angolan–American defense cooperation committee meeting

Angola and the United States convened the second meeting of the Angola–United States Joint Defense Cooperation Committee on August 5–6, 2026, at the Ministry of National Defense, Former Combatants and Veterans of the Homeland. The session took place under the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Defense Matters signed on May 17, 2017.

The delegations were led by His Excellency the Secretary of State for the Military Industry, General Ref Afonso Carlos Neto, serving as chair, and the Honorable Daniel Zimmerman, Assistant Secretary of War for International Security Affairs (ASW ISA) in the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy (OUSWP), serving as co-chair.

Participants reaffirmed the two countries’ commitment to deepen defense cooperation, reflecting recent high-level engagements between the United States Department of War and the Ministry of National Defense, Former Combatants and Veterans of the Homeland of the Republic of Angola.

The heads of delegation signed an addendum to the regulations governing the organization and functioning of the Angola–United States Joint Defense Cooperation Committee. The measure is intended to enable closer and more regular coordination between the two nations’ Armed Forces.

Both sides signaled plans to pursue a closer security relationship and to continue reviewing and advancing cooperation through the next National Coordination Meeting (CCM), where operational and tactical issues are expected to be addressed in support of the Committee’s strategic-level discussions.

The next meeting of the Angola–United States Joint Defense Cooperation Committee is scheduled to take place in the United States in 2028.