On January 26, 2026, Julien Paluku Kahongya, the Minister of Foreign Trade of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, convened a strategic meeting with a delegation from the World Bank. Albert Zeufack, the Director of the World Bank's Business Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, led the delegation.

One of the core topics of this meeting is that Minister Paluku will represent the Democratic Republic of the Congo to attend the Congo (DRC) - Zambia - Angola trilateral meeting to be held in Luanda, the capital of Angola, from February 5th to 6th. The meeting will focus on accelerating the implementation of the Lobito Corridor Project. This cross-border infrastructure initiative is regarded as a key platform for promoting regional trade and economic development.

Zofak said after the meeting: "We had a very rich exchange with the Minister of Foreign Trade. The key topics discussed included the Loibuto Corridor. All parties agreed that it should be developed into a genuine regional trade platform, not only facilitating the flow of goods, but also promoting employment growth and commercial convenience along the route."

He further pointed out that the two sides also exchanged views on the specific implementation of the regional trade facilitation project, and emphasized the necessity of continuously advancing related work in order to enhance the trade levels among the member states of the Great Lakes Region Community (CEPGL).

Furthermore, both parties have reached a consensus to enhance support for the capacity building of the CEPGL institution. As the implementing entity of the Washington Agreement at the local level, CEPGL is entrusted with the important function of promoting trade and investment facilitation within the region.

In response to this, Minister Paluku reaffirmed the firm support of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the revitalization of CEPGL. He stated: "This organization is regarded as the foundation for implementing the framework of regional economic integration, and it fully aligns with the strategic direction set out in the Washington Agreement."

At the conclusion of the meeting, the World Bank reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to support the construction of vital infrastructure in key eastern locations such as Kasindi, Goma, Bukavu and Uvira in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These projects will be integrated into the overall cooperation framework supported by the World Bank for the revival of CEPGL, aiming to enhance regional connectivity, promote border trade, and create conditions for long-term stability and development.

-- Excerpted from "On the Congo Riverbank"