The Brussels Office of the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) is pleased to invite you to a roundtable discussion.                              

The Lobito Corridor:
Done deal or shifting sands?

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Friday, 3 July 2026, 12:30-13:45
Business & Science Poland,
Rue Belliard 40, 5th floor
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The Lobito Corridor project remains central to the EU's and U.S.'s engagement with Africa, particularly with regard to securing access to critical minerals and counterbalancing Chinese influence in the region. As the development of transport routes from Congolese and Zambian copper and cobalt mines to European and American markets progresses, Western stakeholders are quick to proclaim the project's success years before its completion. However, a view from Angola, Zambia and the DRC offers a more complex picture with an increasing number of questions and uncertainties surrounding their stance on the project.

For the time being, the benefits for the participating African countries remain limited. The subsequent phases of the project will only be successful if they meet the participating African countries' development expectations and respect their aspirations to gain greater control and decision-making power over the use of their natural resources. This is being accelerated by the war in the Gulf and rapidly changing views on how African states should design their policies regarding critical raw materials. Against this backdrop, differences with the U.S. are becoming increasingly apparent, offering both challenges and opportunities that the EU could exploit to its advantage.

The seminar aims to examine the evolving perspectives and shifting priorities of the African partner states on issues such as mineral sovereignty and connectivity, which are central to the EU's engagement in the Lobito project. Participants will address the following questions:

Should African states' cooperation with Western partners on the Lobito Corridor project be taken for granted or is it subject to constant reconsideration? What issues will the DRC, Angola and Zambia see as contradicting their national priorities? How will the change in the American approach towards Africa affect the prospects for the Lobito project? How can the EU position itself in response to this change?

The discussion is organized in the context of recent publication of PISM Policy Paper: “The Lobito Corridor - seeking synergies between the Global North and Africa” by Jędrzej Czerep.

Agenda:

The debate will be held under the Chatham House Rule.

To confirm attendance and for any inquiries, please reply to brusselsoffice@pism.pl.