More than 250 public officials, business leaders, financial institutions, and development partners will convene in Kinshasa on November 14, 2025, for a high-level meeting themed “The Great Lakes in Action: Economic Integration for Lasting Peace – Success Stories.” The forum 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).
Held under the High Patronage of President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the gathering reaffirms the region’s commitment to advancing peace and stability through economic cooperation. Organized by the Ministry of Regional Integration and the Public-Private Partnership Council and Coordination Unit (UC-PPP), the meeting seeks to position economic diplomacy at the core of regional transformation efforts.
The one-day event will focus on key projects driving integration and sustainable growth in infrastructure, energy, and agriculture—sectors seen as the foundation for peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes Region. Notable initiatives to be spotlighted include the Lobito Corridor linking the DRC, Zambia, and Angola; the Tanzania–Burundi–DRC railway project supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the East African Community (EAC); and the DRC–Uganda road corridor aimed at boosting cross-border trade and investment.
Several dignitaries are expected to attend, including Téte António, Angola’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; Albert Zeufack, World Bank Country Director for Angola, Burundi, the DRC, and São Tomé and Príncipe; Julien Paluku, DRC Minister of External Trade; Alexis Gisaro, Minister of Urban Planning and Housing; Éric-Mathieu Rokosse Kamo, Minister of Public Works of the Central African Republic; and Xia Huang, UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region. Representatives from the African Union, European Union, AfDB, AFD, and regional economic communities will also participate.
In a significant step toward digital transformation, the meeting will also see the launch of a regional digital platform designed to track the progress of integration projects in real time. The platform aims to enhance transparency, coordination, and public-private collaboration across member states.
“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,” said H.E. Floribert Anzuluni Isiloketshi, DRC’s Minister of Regional Integration.
The Kinshasa gathering represents a pivotal milestone under the Congolese presidency of the ICGLR, reinforcing the shared vision of transforming economic cooperation into a sustainable engine for peace, stability, and inclusive development across the Great Lakes Region.
