Ambassador Rita Laranjinha has been Managing Director for Africa at the European External Action Service (EEAS) since December 2020. She oversees the EU’s political relations with 49 African countries, the African Union, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), and regional organisations such as ECOWAS, ECCAS, IGAD and SADC. She led key negotiations for the EU-Africa Summit (2022), multiple EU-AU Ministerials, and ministerial meetings with countries including Angola, Cabo Verde, Nigeria and South Africa. She also represents the EU in political dialogues and peace and security discussions on Africa.

Previously, she served as Portugal’s Ambassador to Denmark and Lithuania (2018–2020), where she strengthened bilateral ties and cultural diplomacy. She was twice Head of Office to Ministers of Foreign Affairs and played roles in major international campaigns, such as António Guterres’s election as UN Secretary-General and Portugal’s seat on the UN Security Council.

Her earlier postings include diplomatic roles in Luanda and Madrid, and positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lisbon, where she focused on multilateral affairs, Africa, the Americas, CPLP, and security policy.

Ambassador Laranjinha holds a master’s in European Studies from the College of Europe and a degree in International Relations from the University of Lisbon. She is fluent in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish, and speaks Italian, with basic knowledge of German and Danish.