E CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE 4TH AFRICA-PORTUGAL-UNITED ARAB EMIRATES FORUM IN PORTO: THE DRC TOOK CENTRE STAGE IN THE DISCUSSIONS
Focused on strengthening public-private partnerships and mobilising investment for infrastructure projects in Africa, the fourth edition of the Africa-Portugal-United Arab Emirates Forum drew to a close on Friday 9 October 2026 in Porto, Portugal.
The expansion of Emirati capital in Africa across the logistics, infrastructure and telecommunications sectors; the acceleration of the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to boost intra-African trade; and the creation of joint ventures through the facilitation of direct links and partnerships between African business organisations , Portuguese economic operators and investments from the Gulf, constitute the key resolutions of this forum.
During this major business event, the DRC delegation – comprising the Minister for Foreign Trade, Julien Paluku Kahongya, and the Minister for Entrepreneurship and SME Development, acting as Minister for Industry, Justin Kalumba Mwana Ngongo, as well as the Governor of Lualaba, Fifi Masuka, spoke out strongly on behalf of the country, which took centre stage in all the discussions across the various panels.
Speaking to the press, the Minister for Foreign Trade, Julien Paluku Kahongya, stated that trade facilitation partnerships had been identified to integrate the DRC’s transport corridors into global energy supply chains, supported by the logistical expertise of the United Arab Emirates and Portugal, in addition to clear expressions of interest from Portuguese consortia and Emirati investment funds to finance infrastructure projects in the DRC; this therefore represents a significant achievement in the context of consolidating the economic and trade diplomacy pursued by the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi, he added.
It should be noted that this two-day conference was organised by the Forum of Operators for the Guarantee of Africa’s Emergence (FOGECA) in partnership with the Portuguese Entrepreneurs’ Association (AEP).
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