KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s Chargé d’Affaires to Namibia, Datuk Dr Mohamad Rameez Yahaya, recently visited Luanda, Angola, for discussions on enhancing bilateral cooperation and diplomatic engagement.
His three-day visit also sought to deepen ties with the Malaysian diaspora in the oil-rich African nation.
During the visit, Mohamad Rameez held discussions with senior officials from Angola’s Ministry of External Relations, including Director of Protocol George and Director of Asia and Oceania Pauleth Dias, who oversees Malaysia’s diplomatic desk.
He also met with the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Joao Baptista De Costa, to explore avenues for expanding bilateral collaboration.
“During the meeting with Baptista, deliberations focused on current bilateral relations… We discussed ongoing trade and investment cooperation, and they expressed satisfaction with Petronas' involvement in exploring a new offshore block in Angola.
“I also emphasised the importance of enhancing people-to-people exchanges and encouraging more Angolans to participate in Malaysia’s Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) courses,” he said in a statement.
In Luanda, Mohamad Rameez visited the Petronas office and held discussions with its representative, Qayyum, who briefed him on the new block currently being explored jointly with Total and Angola’s national oil company, Sonangol.
He also took the opportunity to meet with members of the Malaysian community in Angola during a dinner hosted in Luanda’s central business district.
Around 20 Malaysians attended the session, representing a larger group of over 70 individuals working in the oil and gas sector. They shared their experiences and reaffirmed their connection to home through regular visits and continued engagement with the High Commission.
Faiz Rahimi, a Malaysian working in Angola’s oil and gas industry, was among those who attended the session and described it as a meaningful opportunity to connect with fellow Malaysians.
“Thanks to this kind of event, I had the opportunity to expand my professional network and make new friends, especially those who are also from Malaysia!
“It was also interesting to learn that most of my compatriots are currently serving in well-known oil and gas companies, namely Petronas, ExxonMobil, Azule Energy (a joint venture between ENI and BP), Total, and Schlumberger,” he wrote in a social media post.
According to Faiz, the session lasted only about two hours, but they had a great time together.
-- BERNAMA
