KINSHASA, DRC, Nov 12 – Over 250 senior officials, business leaders, and representatives of international financial institutions will gather in Kinshasa on Friday, November 14, for a regional forum on economic diplomacy and integration in the Great Lakes region.
Themed “The Great Lakes in Action: Economic Integration for Lasting Peace – Success Stories,” the forum will take place ahead of the 9th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
It will be held under the High Patronage of President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, underscoring the DRC’s leadership in promoting regional stability through shared economic growth.
Jointly organized by the Ministry of Regional Integration and the Public-Private Partnership Council and Coordination Unit (UC-PPP), the meeting will spotlight the role of economic diplomacy as a tool for peace.
Discussions will focus on three transformative sectors — infrastructure, energy, and agriculture — and showcase regional projects boosting trade and job creation.
Highlighted initiatives include the Lobito Corridor linking the DRC, Zambia, and Angola to the Atlantic; the Tanzania–Burundi–DRC railway backed by the AfDB and EAC; and the DRC–Uganda road corridor, aimed at improving cross-border connectivity and investment.
The event will feature top officials such as Angola’s Foreign Minister Téte António, World Bank Country Director Albert Zeufack, UN Special Envoy Xia Huang, and ministers from the DRC and Central African Republic. Representatives from the AU, EU, EAC, AFD, and AfDB will also participate.
A key highlight will be the unveiling of a regional digital platform to monitor integration projects in real time, enhancing transparency and collaboration among states and investors.
“Our region can only consolidate peace if it creates the conditions for shared prosperity,” said Floribert Anzuluni Isiloketshi, DRC’s Minister of Regional Integration. “There can be no lasting stability without economic integration — without roads that connect, energy that powers, and trade that builds trust.”
As current ICGLR chair, the DRC is steering regional cooperation as a foundation for peace and development across the Great Lakes.
