The data regarding the Lobito Corridor were presented today by the European Union Ambassador to Angola, Rosário Bento Pais, during a press conference regarding the VII European Union-African Union Summit, which will take place in Luanda on November 24th and 25th.

According to Rosário Bento Pais, of this total, 730 million euros correspond to funding from European institutions, within the framework of development aid, while the remainder corresponds to loans or investments from the private sector.

The ambassador also mentioned the European interests linked to the consortium that operates the Lobito Corridor and the Port of Lobito. The consortium responsible for the concession of the Lobito Corridor railway line is the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), led by Trafigura, Mota-Engil and Vecturis, which took over the operation of the infrastructure in 2023.

The concession for the Port of Lobito was awarded to Africa Global Logistics (AGL), which is part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC Group).

At the press conference, Rosário Bento Pais also addressed the European Union's priorities for Angola within the framework of the summit, highlighting that they are “The same applies to the remaining African countries."And that the occasion will serve to take stock of what has been done in the last 25 years."

The diplomat explained that, in the area of ​​investment and infrastructure, the priorities defined with the Angolan government for the period 2021-2027 focus on three areas: economic diversification and job creation, human development, and governance.

“When we launched the Global Gateway strategy, these were the objectives, with Angola having one of the largest projects, the Lobito Corridor, where we will implement all these priorities and combine private sector investment with European funding,” stated.

Rosário Bento Pais added that there is also “a regional part"which involves financial institutions and member states of the European Union. The diplomat stressed that the intention is for this to be not only a transport corridor, but also one of economic development, with an impact on populations and the environment."

The ambassador also noted that investment in infrastructure “It is currently a priority for the European Union with the Global Gateway.and thatAngola has one of the most important corridors"of the 12 covered."

The Global Gateway is the European strategy launched in 2021 to finance infrastructure in partner countries, combining donations, guarantees, loans and private capital, with a focus on energy, transport, digitalization, health and education.

Picture: © 2025 Francisco Lopes-Santos