Lobito - The ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Angola, Kwang-Jin Choi, promised on Monday in Lobito (Benguela) to make a personal effort to bring businesspeople from his country to invest in the Lobito Corridor and beyond.
Speaking to the press at the end of a visit to the Port of Lobito, the diplomat said the Lobito Corridor is attracting attention from all over the world, which is why he came to Benguela province to see some of its potential.
“I came to this region today to find out about the possibilities for cooperation. Tomorrow we will hold our energy forum and we hope to identify various areas where we can cooperate,” the diplomat said.
Kwang-Jin Choi recalled the President João Lourenço's visit to Korea, where the number of businesspeople exceeded expectations, due to interest in investment opportunities in Angola.
After receiving information about the infrastructure, safety and operation of the Port of Lobito, through its institutional video and the panoramic view of the bay, Kwang-JIn Choi said he was sure that the region would develop a lot in relation to other parts of the continent.
At the Benguela Railway (CFB), the ambassador was informed about the 1,340 kilometers of railway line linking Lobito to Luau, a municipality on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
On the occasion, the CFB CEO, Antonio Cabral, spoke about the concession of the railway line to the Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium, which is also responsible for maintaining the infrastructure.
“The consortium handles minerals from the DRC and Zambia, as well as cargo in transit, while CFB is only responsible for transporting passengers and small volumes within the country,” Cabral said.
The CFB CEO reported on the recent agreement between Angola and Zambia to build a branch line from Jimbe (Moxico) to Luacano in Zambia.
On Tuesday, the delegation visits the Biopio photovoltaic center and meets with the Ministry of Energy and Water.
The delegation works in Benguela for two days and will bring representatives from the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Korean companies, such as LG Electronics and Hanwha Ocean, in the shipbuilding and ports sectors.
In 2023, bilateral trade between the Republic of Korea and Angola recorded more than 470 million US dollars, almost 30 times higher than when the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, according to a note from the Embassy of that Asian country.
This year, according to the document, more than 30 Korean companies participated directly or indirectly in the Luanda International Trade Fair (FILDA). TC/CRB/AMP
