Angolan PR highlights the potential of the Lobito Corridor

BRUSSELS – The President of Angola, João Lourenço, highlighted today, at the second Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, that the Lobito Corridor has “development potential” in Southern Africa.
Referring in his speech at the second edition of the Global Gateway Forum to the “great project of the Lobito Corridor,” João Lourenço emphasized “the economic and social development potential it can generate not only in Angola but also in the Southern Africa region.”
The strategic logistical and economic project connects the port of Lobito, in the Atlantic Ocean, to the mining regions of southern Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, through the Benguela Railway line (Angola).
The Lobito Corridor, the Angolan head of state considered, has “a fundamental geopolitical and economic importance, as it is a logistical platform that will shorten international maritime routes, promote international trade and commercial exchanges between Asia, Africa, Europe, and America, as well as boost intra-African trade, strengthen the African Continental Free Trade Area, and make a significant contribution to integrating Africa into global value chains.”
Lourenço met at the forum with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who announced on social media that the project is “one of the most ambitious” of the Global Gateway and “a pathway to growth and jobs.”
Von der Leyen also expressed “pride in being a partner of Angola on this journey” and mentioned that the strategy will be discussed at the upcoming summit between the European Union (EU) and the African Union, scheduled for November 24 and 25 in Luanda.
The EU-AU Summit is scheduled for November 24-25, 2025, in Luanda, Angola.
The second edition of the Global Gateway Forum, taking place today and on Friday, brings together high-level representatives from governments, financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society to explore innovative strategies to increase investments.
In addition to the Angolan President, the Prime Minister of Cape Verde, José Ulisses Correia e Silva, is also participating in the event.
Building on the 2023 meeting that highlighted the European Union’s external investment initiatives, this year’s event will focus on advancing global connectivity in the face of geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges. (10/09/2025)