Lobito - The second edition of the International Forum for Investment in the Lobito Corridor Region will be held between April 23 and 25 this year in the city of Benguela, ANGOP learned on Friday.

The forum, an initiative of the Angolan Chamber of Business Development, will address various topics of interest in the economic field and beyond, with the aim of attracting foreign and national investors.

According to the president of the chamber, António Figueiredo, legal security will be one of the main topics to protect the interests of international investors, as well as an approach to organic agricultural production, considering the many chemicals that have been used lately.

 "This forum also aims to attract national investors from other provinces so they can see the opportunities the country offers," he said.

Figueiredo said the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, which are part of the Lobiro Corridor, have confirmed their presence, while Tanzania and South Africa, Mozambique and Japan are still to confirm their participation in the event.

"We'll also have visits to the infrastructures that support the Corridor, such as the Port, the Benguela Railway and the consortiums Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) and Africa Global Logistic), as well as the fishing and salt area of Baía Farta.

He revealed that visitors from the DRC and Zambia, in particular, were interested in obtaining information about fish production and the salt industry.

The International Investment Forum for the Lobito Corridor region has the support of the Benguela Provincial Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Lobito Corridor is a strategic route for boosting the economic diversification potential of the Republic of Angola. The Benguela railway runs for 1,344 kilometers from the Port of Lobito to Luau, in the province of Moxico, a border area with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It crosses four Angolan provinces, Benguela, Huambo, Bié and Moxico, connecting 40 percent of the country's population, boosting large-scale investments in agriculture and trade.

These provinces are fundamental for agricultural development with value chains in cereals such as corn, soy, wheat and rice, tubers, beans, vegetables and fruit.

The Lobito Corridor is internationally known as the route of the two oceans, as it connects the Atlantic and Indian Oceans by land. It is therefore the main alternative route to the export markets of landlocked countries such as Zambia and the DRC, offering a shorter route to the main mining regions in both countries. TC/CRB/TED/AMP