Cascais, Lisbon, July 25, 2025 (Lusa) - The European Union ambassador to Angola, Rosário Bento Pais, said on Friday that Brussels' approach to investment in the Lobito Corridor is based on a holistic vision, with social, economic and environmental concerns.
“We have a 360-degree vision, with investments in social, economic and environmental concerns” relating to this project, which aims to link the port of Lobito to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through the remodelling and expansion of a 1,300-kilometre railway line.
In her opening speech at the EurAfrican Forum on “Global Markets; Platforms for Business Growth through International Forums”, Rosário Bento Pais said that the EU's intervention under the Global Gateway is not limited to supporting the project to build and improve the current railway, but also addresses other concerns surrounding this central project.
The creation of logistics platforms, the improvement of water quality in 11 Angolan cities and the strengthening of the inclusion perspective throughout the project are some of the projects presented by Brussels during one of the panels of the forum, which ends on Saturday.
"We have €15 million for agricultural chains, with specific funding windows that should allow for a doubling of investment; we have €30 million for a fisheries project, €43 million for specific training and education in the area of railway courses, in addition to training professionals in 12 agricultural institutes; we have €25 million allocated to a project to digitise governance and justice against fraud, capital flight and money laundering; and €25 million to protect conservation areas and promote ecotourism," said the head of European diplomacy in Luanda.
Among the various examples of projects presented, Rosário Bento Pais also pointed to the €25 million investment in a project to promote the transformation of waste management in Luanda, focusing on a circular economy, i.e. strongly encouraging recycling.
“Together with the private sector, we can transform the country,” concluded the ambassador, stressing the importance of the Global Gateway Forum, which will take place on 9 and 10 October in Brussels, to mobilise investment from the European private sector.
The Lobito Corridor, a 1,300-kilometre railway infrastructure that crosses Angola, connecting the port of Lobito (on the coast) to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo to transport critical minerals from the Copperbelt (DRC) and Kolwezi (Zambia) regions, is one of the most visible commitments of Global Gateway, an initiative with which the EU aims to counterbalance the growing influence of other global powers through investments in sustainable infrastructure, targeting the energy, transport and digital sectors.
The operation is being carried out by Lobito Atlantic Railway (a consortium that includes Portugal's Mota-Egil, Switzerland's Trafigura and Belgium's Vecturis) and is expected to involve an investment of almost US$1 billion, partly financed by the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
The Corridor is also part of the European Global Gateway initiative, with the European bloc announcing a €600 million package through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) developed under the G7.
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