Kinshasa, DRC: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will this week host more than 250 leaders, investors, and development partners in a landmark meeting aimed at accelerating economic integration and promoting lasting peace across the Great Lakes Region.
The high-level dialogue, scheduled for Friday, November 14, 2025, in Kinshasa, will take place on the sidelines of the 9th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
Themed “The Great Lakes in Action: Economic Integration for Lasting Peace – Success Stories,” the meeting is being held under the High Patronage of His Excellency Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Republic, and reflects the shared commitment of member states to use economic diplomacy as a tool for peace, stability, and development.
Jointly organized by the Ministry of Regional Integration and the Public-Private Partnership Council and Coordination Unit (UC-PPP), the Kinshasa meeting brings together public decision-makers, business leaders, financial institutions, and regional organizations for a full day of discussions focused on the economic transformation of the Great Lakes Region. It aims to strengthen cooperation through infrastructure, energy, and agricultural projects that link nations, create jobs, and drive inclusive growth.
Among the key projects to be discussed are the Lobito Corridor connecting the DRC, Zambia, and Angola to the Atlantic Ocean; the Tanzania–Burundi–DRC railway project backed by the African Development Bank and the East African Community; and the DRC–Uganda road corridor designed to enhance cross-border trade and investment.
Each of these initiatives is being positioned as a model of regional cooperation that can translate economic potential into tangible benefits for citizens.
The forum has attracted several high-level dignitaries, including Téte António, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola; Jean-Pierre Bemba, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport of the DRC; Albert Zeufack, Country Director of the World Bank for Angola, Burundi, DRC and São Tomé and Príncipe; Alexis Gisaro, Minister of Urban Planning and Housing; Julien Paluku, Minister of External Trade; Xia Huang, United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region; and Éric-Mathieu Rokosse Kamo, Minister of Public Works of the Central African Republic.
Also expected are senior representatives from the African Union, European Union, East African Community, African Development Bank, and Agence Française de Développement, as well as Secretaries of State from regional economic blocs. The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister are also scheduled to attend, underscoring the significance of the gathering.
On the sidelines of the meeting, a new regional digital platform will be launched to enable real-time tracking of integration projects and showcase results. The platform, developed with support from technical and financial partners, aims to promote transparency, coordination, and accountability among Great Lakes member states while deepening collaboration between public and private sectors.
Minister of Regional Integration Floribert Anzuluni Isiloketshi described the event as a turning point in the region’s quest for stability through shared prosperity. “Our region can only consolidate peace if it creates the conditions for shared prosperity. There can be no lasting stability without economic integration, without roads that connect, without energy that powers, and without trade that builds trust,” he said in a statement ahead of the summit.
This week’s meeting reaffirms the growing commitment of the DRC and its regional partners to make economic diplomacy a central pillar of the Great Lakes peace agenda. It also marks an important milestone under the Congolese presidency of the ICGLR, reflecting an era of renewed political will to turn Africa’s Great Lakes into a hub of connectivity, cooperation, and competitiveness.
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