Tejo Policy Conference II

Tejo Policy Conference II –
Angola, Portugal and the EU:
Current Relations and Potential
Future Implications
21 March 2014, Lisbon, Portugal
Table of Contents
04.
IPLI Foreword
05.
CLIPIS Foreword
06.
Conference Panelist
Remarks
08.
International Student
Participants
10.
Photo Report
11.
Partners and Special
Thanks
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IPLI
IPLI
Foreword
In launching this second Tejo Policy Conference which explored the strategic
relationship between Angola, Portugal and the European Union (EU), IPLI
was pleased to once again work with its partner: Lusíada Center for Research
in International Politics and Security (CLIPIS) at Universidade Lusíada in
Lisbon.
IPLI’s participation in this initiative marked a broadening beyond the
traditional scope of IPLI’s research area which until recently was situated
almost entirely within the zone of the EU and Euro-Mediterranean region.
IPLI elected to expand its geographic area of study in recognition of the need
to more closely examine the increasingly complex links between nation-states
and the consequences that their policies can have on one another irrespective
of the physical distances between them. It is within this framework that
IPLI agreed to work with CLIPIS to analyze the importance of the growing
tripartite relationship between Angola, Portugal and the EU. This conference
successfully served as a platform that enabled policy makers, researchers,
academics and students to come together to discuss issues of global
significance.
IPLI assesses that it is of paramount importance to sensitize future policy
makers to the importance of examining and understanding the effects that
public policies in one country can have in another distant country or bloc of
nations. As part of IPLI’s commitment to “unite the policy makers of today
and tomorrow,” in advance of this conference, IPLI organized an international
essay competition for students at its partner universities in France at l’Institut
d’études politiques in Paris and in Lille. The winners of this essay competition
were selected to participate at the conference and were privileged to meet
up close with a myriad of policy makers and researchers who participated at
the event. This meeting provided them with a rich opportunity to debate and
discuss the implications of the important issues that were raised during the
conference.
In addition to enabling the attendance of a delegation of international students
at the event, IPLI was pleased to jointly confer the first IPLI-CLIPIS academic
award to a Universidade Lusíada student who participated at the event. This
student was selected by the jury prize committee for having written the best
paper on the conference topic.
This conference served as a significant and unique contribution to the growing
international policy discussions surrounding the evolution of the relationship
between Angola, Portugal and the EU. IPLI was honored to cooperate
with CLIPIS in this academic event and it looks forward to broadening and
enhancing its collaboration with CLIPIS in the future.
IPLI
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CLIPIS
Foreword
The Lusíada Center for Research in International Politics and Security
(CLIPIS) is a research unit of the Universidade Lusíada that aims to
produce and disseminate scientific research in the areas of international
relations and security studies through the organization of debates,
international conferences and multidisciplinary seminars. Twice per
year CLIPIS produces its scientific journal Revista Lusíada de Política
Internacional e Segurança.
In addition to its own projects, CLIPIS carries out research projects in
cooperation with other Portuguese and foreign universities, research
centers and think tanks. Notably with the IPLI (International Policy
and Leadership Institute), the IDN (National Defense Institute) and
the ISCPSI (Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Internal Security).
CLIPIS is composed of two research groups with the following objectives:
one dedicated to the study of Portuguese foreign policy; and the other
dedicated to the wider study of the multi-dimensional aspects of
global international relations. Currently CLIPIS is composed of eleven
doctoral researchers and is enlarging its membership to include foreign
researchers in the subsequent phases of its institutional development.
In pursuit of its objectives, in March 2014, CLIPIS co-organized
an international conference with IPLI focused on relations between
Angola, Portugal and the European Union. The aim of this conference
was to analyze the relationship between Angola and Portugal and
to reflect on the policy impact of these relations within the broader
context of links to the EU. Some of the key issues that were discussed
at this conference included the following: What do all parties gain
from this relationship? Within the framework of the triangular
relationship between Portugal, Angola and the EU, what is the exact
role of Portugal? What can Portugal “offer” that is of interest to
Angola and the EU? How can Angola benefit from its ties to Portugal
in order to establish greater connections with the EU?
The conference was a success and I look forward to collaborating with
the IPLI in the near future.
Prof. Doutor José Francisco Lynce Zagalo Pavia
Coordinator of CLIPIS and
Assistant Professor of International Relations
at Lusíada Universities of Lisbon and Porto
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Mestre António Luvualu de Carvalho
Conference Panelist Remarks
Ambassador António Martins da Cruz
The foreign policy priorities for Portugal are the
following: the EU, NATO and Portugal’s connections
with lusophone countries. Angola does not need
Portugal in order to dialogue with the EU, however;
it is easier for Angola to work through Portugal due
to a shared culture and language. Africa should be
a priority and Portugal should work to convince the
EU that Africa is a strategic partner, a true partner,
and not just a source of resources and commercial
opportunities. The EU is somewhat envious of
Portugal’s access and ability to invest in Angola and
therefore it is in the strategic interest of Portugal to
maintain strong relations with Angola in order to avoid
an EU disinterest in Portugal and a scenario where
other EU member states attempt to fill a gap left by
Portugal. Between 2008-2013, the EU gave a total
of 2 billion euros to Angola. This is not a sufficient
effort and the EU can do more. On a separate matter,
it would be very beneficial to Portugal if Angola
becomes a non-permanent member of the UN Security
Council because it will bring Angola to a new level of
engagement in international geopolitics.
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Comissário Jefe Sebastião Martins
Angola has a key role in Africa. It is a major player
along with South Africa and Nigeria. Angola is seeking
ways to position itself on the international stage,
including by casting itself as a peacekeeper in Africa.
Congo, Sudan and Madagascar have historically
requested Angolan intervention in internal disputes.
Angola is now campaigning to become a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council and it
hopes to rely on the support of Portugal to achieve this
goal. In 2008, Angola was adversely affected by a drop
in oil prices and since then has endeavored to develop
other facets of its economy. Development priorities for
Angola should include building up its agricultural and
banking sectors and Angola should also work to gain
better access to large international distribution chains
in order to export its goods. The gateway dynamic
between Angola and Portugal is an integral part of the
relationship between the two countries in the current
international order. Angola and Portugal both have
great growth potential and should push each other
forward.
Angola experienced eight percent growth in 2013
and economic forecasts estimate 5.9 percent growth
in 2014. With only moderate inflation and a growing
consumer class, Angola is becoming a more attractive
country for investment. EU countries are realizing this
and in recent times we have seen that when there
has been a cooling of relations between Portugal and
Angola, EU countries such as France and Spain have
attempted to move in to fill the gap. Angola needs
stable gateways to the EU in order to assist in the
repositioning of its economy, therefore Angola needs to
be receptive to offers of cooperation from EU countries
other than Portugal. In future years it will be important
for Angola to consolidate its peace which was hard
won in 2002. Angola should move to engage more as
an international player by seeking an expanded role in
regional peacekeeping. Angola should also play a key
role in the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) and the country should move to build relations
with Brazil, China and South Africa.
Dr. José Tavares Moreira
Prof. Doutor José Lamego
Brigadeiro Manuel Correia de Barros
Historically, there have been ups and downs in the
relationship between Angola and Portugal but common
interests between the two countries have tended to
prevail in maintaining good working relations. Angola
needs to make use of international investments flowing
into Angola as a way to develop the country. While
Angola is the 6th most important market for Portugal
and the fastest growing, unfortunately poverty,
inequality, inefficiency and corruption present large
obstacles to development. In order to overcome these
obstacles, Angola needs important partnerships with
countries like Portugal in order to assist in combatting
the endemic problems it faces. It is important for
Portugal to be a gateway for Angola to the EU, but is
it truly up to the task? Conversely, one has to consider
whether the EU is interested in Portugal’s potential
role as a gateway to Angola. It is hard to see the EU as
a model now, given the growing inequality between rich
and poor and the rise of nationalism.
Portugal is a key country for Angola because it can
provide access for Angolan products to the enormous
EU commercial market. Also, Angola currently imports
most of its products from Portugal. The link between
Portugal and Angola can additionally facilitate
partnerships between Angolan and EU companies.
Angolan investors are increasingly attracted to the
eurozone as a way to diversify their international
investment portfolios and therefore it is important
to continue to work on the development of a robust
capital market in Angola to further promote this trend.
If a credible Common Defense and Security Policy
emerges within Europe, then Angola could benefit from
having Portugal represent its regional security interests
within the EU. A significant relationship between
Angola and Portugal exists, thanks to the Comunidade
dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP). This link
is crucial for dealing with scenarios when ties between
the two countries have been tested due to various
diplomatic considerations.
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International
Student
Participants
Promoting students’ education and awareness
of a wide variety of international policy issues is
a key objective for IPLI. In pursuit of this goal,
in advance of the Tejo Policy Conference, IPLI
organized an international policy essay contest for
students at IPLI’s partner universities in France
at the Institut d’études politiques in Paris and in
Lille (Commonly known as Sciences Po Paris and
Sciences Po Lille). Students were invited to submit
papers that analyzed the current state of relations
between Angola, Portugal and the EU and to
examine the issue of strategic partnership between
Angola and Portugal. In particular, their papers
were required to provide recommendations that
policy makers could consider in potential efforts to
enhance relations in the tripartite Angola, Portugal,
EU relationship. IPLI’s goal in launching this essay
contest was to encourage motivated students to
go beyond their normal fields of study and to push
themselves to broaden their knowledge in a new
area of expertise. IPLI received numerous essay
submissions for the competition and chose a select
few students to participate as IPLI’s delegates at
the event. The following testimonials from student
participants highlight some of the things that they
learned at the conference:
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“This conference was the perfect opportunity
to meet prominent diplomats and scholars on
the issue. Therefore it was a unique occasion to
share ideas and knowledge about an interesting
and unusual topic. This meeting in Lisbon had
a great influence on my understanding of the
Angolan-Portuguese relationship as well as of its
implications within the EU.”
The delegation of students from Sciences Po Paris
and Sciences Po Lille
“The inspiring panel at the IPLI conference
showed us once again how Portugal and Angola
are deeply intertwined at several levels. As they
are facing new challenges, sharing valuable
instruments can stimulate both nations on the
internal and on the external scene.”
“Many of the insightful perspectives put forth by
Portuguese and Angolan policy makers during
this year’s IPLI conference were novel to me,
and allowed me to further reconsider an issue I
had already previously contemplated at length.
The method by which diplomatic relations were
approached and analyzed by both concerned
parties will be useful to me in my future work
at university.”
“This conference allowed me to see the
relationship between two countries from a
different perspective. It helped me to understand
their strong correlation and mutual benefit.
I have to mention that the presence of such
important participants made the conference
more interesting and significant.”
For this edition of the Tejo Policy Conference,
a new initiative, the IPLI-CLIPIS academic
award, was created to offer Universidade Lusíada
students a chance to compete in an effort to win
recognition from an academic jury for writing
the most outstanding essay on the theme of
the conference. The winner of this competition,
Ricardo Cabral Fernandes, was presented with his
award by the rector of the university, Prof. Doutor
Eng. Diamantino Freitas Gomes Durão.
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PARTNERS
LUSÍADA CENTER OF RESEARCH IN INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS AND SECURITY
The Lusíada Center of Research in International Politics and
Security (CLIPIS) is a research unit of the Universidade Lusíada
that aims to produce and disseminate scientific research in the
areas of International Relations and Security Studies. CLIPIS
headquarters are located in Lisbon, Portugal.
For more information please visit:
www.lis.ulusiada.pt/pt-pt/investigação/clipis/clipis/apresentação.aspx
INTERNATIONAL POLICY AND LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
The International Policy and Leadership Institute (IPLI) is a
policy institute focused on promoting good governance in the
Euro-Mediterranean region by uniting the policy makers of
today and tomorrow. IPLI headquarters are located in Paris,
France. IPLI associates with a variety of prestigious international
academic institutions with established programs in public affairs/
public policy as well as with think tanks with research programs
focused on Euro-Mediterranean countries.
IPLI
For more information please visit: www.ipli.eu
SPECIAL THANKS
INSTITUT D’ÉTUDES
POLITIQUES DE LILLE
UNIVERSIDADE LUSÍADA
LISBOA
INSTITUT D’ÉTUDES POLITIQUES DE PARIS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MINHVU STÉPHANE:
WWW.MINHVUPHOTOGRAPHER.COM
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