Portugal and Angola sign cooperation agreement on civil protection and firefighters

Decree No. 20/2026 approves the Cooperation Agreement between the Portuguese Republic and the Republic of Angola in the Area of Civil Protection and Firefighters, signed in Lisbon on July 25, 2025. The diploma was published in the Diário da República, 1st series, no. 185, on September 23, 2026, and establishes a framework for the exchange of experts, training, and mutual assistance in the event of a serious accident or catastrophe. The execution of the agreement is the responsibility of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), on the Portuguese side, and the Civil Protection and Firefighters Service, on the Angolan side.

The decree was approved in the Council of Ministers on August 6, 2026, signed by the President of the Republic, António José Martins Seguro, on September 15, 2026, and countersigned by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, on September 16, 2026. The Government invokes subparagraph c) of paragraph 1 of article 197 of the Constitution to approve the text, the authentic version of which in the Portuguese language is published in the annex.

The agreement was signed, on the Portuguese side, by Paulo Artur dos Santos de Castro de Campos Rangel, Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, and, on the Angolan side, by Téte António, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The preamble reaffirms the historical ties between the two States and recalls the Special Cooperation Agreement on Internal Security, signed in Luanda on July 12, 1995, as well as the Portuguese Cooperation Strategy 2030, whose thematic axis 2 provides for the development of capacities in the area of security.

Modalities of cooperation

The Parties commit to developing joint cooperation in civil protection and firefighters through:

• Exchange of specialists and exchange of best practices in civil protection;
• Training activities for civil protection specialists;
• Study of issues of common interest and exchange of methodologies regarding legislation and regulation on forecasting, prevention, assessment, and response;
• Participation in joint operational exercises;
• Provision of mutual assistance in the event of a serious accident or catastrophe;
• Training of staff and trainers in civil protection and firefighters.

The content of these modalities is defined by the Joint Commission provided for in article 6 of the agreement.

Joint Commission and competent authorities

A Joint Civil Protection Commission is established, composed of representatives of the competent authorities of the Parties, responsible for programming activities, monitoring their development, and proposing adaptations deemed pertinent. The Commission meets alternately in the territory of each Party, once a year, or whenever requested by one of the competent authorities, and may include public or private entities invited by reason of their special competence.

Each Party shall formally notify the other, via diplomatic channels, in the event of a change in its respective competent authority.

Mutual assistance and charges

Assistance may be requested in situations of serious accident or catastrophe, current or imminent, and must cover all or part of the Parties’ territories. The request must indicate the location, time, nature, scope, and parameters of the emergency, as well as the assistance required and the respective priorities. Team members must carry a valid identification document and the head of mission a list of personnel and equipment transported.

Regarding costs, the host State shall bear the accommodation of personnel and local transport within its territory, unless decided otherwise, while the Requesting Party shall assume the replenishment of teams and the goods necessary for the operation of the equipment. The remaining costs shall be borne by the Requested Party, and cooperation shall take place within the limits of the budgets of the competent authorities.

Validity and termination

The agreement enters into force 30 days after the receipt of the last written notification, via diplomatic channels, that the internal law requirements of the Parties have been met. It is valid for five years, tacitly renewable for equal periods, and may be terminated upon prior notification at least 180 days before the end of the current validity period. Any dispute that is not resolved amicably within the Joint Commission shall be settled by negotiation, via diplomatic channels.

The approval of this agreement provides stable legal coverage for cooperation that until now relied on strategic programs and isolated projects, with a direct impact on firefighters and emergency structures in both countries. For Portugal, it consolidates the role of the ANEPC as a technical interlocutor within the Lusophone space and opens the door to the sharing of resources and knowledge in catastrophe scenarios, including the training of Angolan personnel.

Source: Diário da República, 1st series, no. 185, of September 23, 2026, Presidency of the Council of Ministers, p. 1-6 (official reference: Decree no. 20/2026).