"It is also time to start thinking about the connection between our countries, Africans in general, but in the specific case of our three countries, Angola, Zambia and the DRCongo, in investing, not necessarily with public resources, in highways to connect the countries of the SADC [Southern African Development Community]", said João Lourenço.
The head of state was speaking at the ceremony that marked the handover of the concession of rail services and logistics support for the Lobito corridor.
According to João Lourenço, the Lobito corridor "will certainly boost inter-African exports, which for now only represent 14 percent of the total exported to the rest of the world".
"Numbers like this show us the importance and the need to put our infrastructures at the service of the development and social life of our countries and our continent and that we are the ones doing it with vision, with purpose and with clearly defined objectives", he stated.
The President stressed that it is up to Africans to take advantage of all opportunities to generate added value in all countries, so that the enhancement of their exports and the creation of jobs for youth become a reality and not just talk of circumstances or forums international markets, where 'glamour' often overshadows what is really wanted and needed "for the children of Africa".
"It is up to us, hand in hand and in frank cooperation, to guarantee the development and progress of our nations in peace, stability, with transparency and equity, so that we can professionally create a sustainable future that benefits everyone", he advocated.
João Lourenço stressed that with the potential of the corridor, the best and most relevant private companies in the sector were attracted, stressing that "with consistency, focus and determination" the three countries attracted to the project "the eyes of world powers, such as the United States of America, the European Union and China".
"At the last G7 meeting in Japan, the Lobito corridor, which includes the Benguela railway, the commercial and mining port, was one of the projects mentioned by the US President, Joe Biden, who clearly stated that the his country available to invest about 250 million dollars in it", he pointed out.
The European Union, added João Lourenço, reinforced and took the result of the tender to a valuable status by approving the constitution of the 'joint-venture' that will manage, maintain and operate the Lobito corridor for the next 30 years, with the possibility of be able to extend for another 20 years.
In turn, the President of the DRCongo, Antoine Félix Tchisekedi, highlighted the efforts of the neighboring country in the rehabilitation of the Lobito corridor, "very important for the flow of raw materials and other goods", interrupted due to armed conflicts.
The Congolese President stressed that the ceremony for transferring the rail service and supporting logistics "comes to comfort the collective choice taken to converge the integration of the peoples and economies of the three countries", with sustainable and solid projects.
The President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, reiterated the importance of the Lobito corridor for the three countries, for the southern region and the African continent, as well as his country's commitment to this project, "because of economic benefits".
Hichilema stressed that for Zambia the corridor has an impact mainly on the issue of extracting and transporting minerals, but the project itself encompasses other important areas such as agriculture, tourism and logistics.
"This means that we will be able to do business faster, with a shorter time and this is very important, it is an alternative route, but at a fair and clear cost", he said.
