Luanda — Minister of Transport Ricardo Viegas D'Abreu reaffirmed in Lusaka, Zambia, on Monday Angola's commitment to maintaining a reliable and open Atlantic platform for all cargo, not just mineral commodities.

The minister was speaking at the Second Lobito Corridor Coordination Meeting, representing President of the Republic João Lourenço.

Ricardo Viegas D'Abreu reaffirmed Angola's commitment to working with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to ensure that the Luau-Dilolo border operates as a one-stop border post, make the Single Window for Foreign Trade interoperable with the systems of neighbouring countries, complete the Master Plan and bring to market a prepared and bankable project portfolio.

"We endorse the three priorities proposed for the next 24 months and the Joint Trade Facilitation Roadmap, and propose that we leave Lusaka with implementation discipline: for each priority, one person responsible, one deadline and one monitoring mechanism," he said.

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According to the minister, "the guidance from President João Lourenço is clear: to move from a transport corridor to an economic development corridor".

Ricardo Viegas D'Abreu also highlighted the inauguration of the first phase of the Caála Logistics Platform, which has 15 refrigerated units, with static capacity to simultaneously preserve 100 tonnes of agricultural produce, in addition to areas for receiving and sorting fruit and vegetables.

The platform also has a solar power system with batteries, providing it with energy autonomy.

"Caála is not the largest project along the Corridor, but it is clear evidence of what Angola is doing, step by step, to transform it into a genuine development corridor," he said.

Organised by the World Bank in partnership with the Government of Zambia, the meeting was opened by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and brought together representatives of the DRC and the private sector, with the aim of promoting the implementation of one of Africa's emerging trade and investment corridors.

The Angolan delegation, headed by the Minister of Transport, includes Secretary of State for Public Investment at the Ministry of Planning Ivan dos Santos, Executive Secretary of the Lobito Corridor Transit Facilitation Agency (LCTTFA) Amadeu Nunes, as well as officials from the Angola Regulatory Agency for Cargo Certification and Logistics (ARCCLA) and the General Tax Administration (AGT). ART/DOJ