MINISTRY OF FOREIGN TRADE: ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF MINISTER JULIEN PALUKU KAHONGYA IN THE EUROPAFRICA INVESTMENT FORUM 2026 IN BRUSSELS
Speaking as a panelist at the EuropAfrica Investment Forum 2026—which focused on the Europe-Africa Free Trade Area, EU-Africa trade, and regional integration, and concluded on Friday, October 2, 2026, in Brussels, Belgium—Julien Paluku Kahongya, the Minister of Foreign Trade, advocated on behalf of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for increased intra-African trade, the local processing of African natural resources through the development of regional value chains, and the acceleration of the continent's industrialization via the financing of energy and infrastructure programs, including the Grand Inga project.
During these strategic discussions—centered on establishing mechanisms to connect entrepreneurs, investors, and institutions from Europe and Africa—the Minister of Foreign Trade highlighted the progress being made in the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He noted the gradual incorporation of tariff concessions into member countries' finance laws and the growing adoption by central banks of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS)—a financial infrastructure designed to enable instant cross-border payments in local currencies across Africa.
On this occasion, Julien Paluku Kahongya emphasized leveraging the Democratic Republic of the Congo's strategic position to boost both intra-African trade and trade between Europe and Africa, specifically through direct and industrial investments.
The forum organized by CREDASSUR GROUP from September 30 to October 2, 2026—held under the high patronage of the European Parliament—concluded with several recommendations, including the creation of a roadmap to implement a mutually beneficial strategic partnership between the European Union and the African continent, thereby fostering shared prosperity and curbing migration flows.
Notable figures who attended the forum included Justine Nthomeng, Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho; Koen Doens, European Commission Delegate; and Ali Yakoub Mahamoud, African Union Ambassador to the European Union.
