Zambian Head of State Hakainde Hichilema arrived Tuesday morning in the province of Benguela where he will participate in the transfer ceremony of the concession of rail services and logistics support for the Lobito Corridor.
The ceremony that will take place in Lobito, Benguela province, will also gather their Angolan and Democratic Congolese counterparts, João Lourenço and Félix Tshisekedi, respectively, countries linked to the Lobito Corridor project.
At Catumbela airport, President Hakainde Hichilema received greetings from the provincial governor, Luís Nunes, and members of the Executive.
The programme also features the inauguration of the fiber optic link between Angola and Zambia, via video call.
The Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium comprises Trafigura, Vecturis and Mota Engil companies, considered the winner of the international tender on November 4, 2022.
It will be responsible for transporting heavy loads as well as maintaining the infrastructure of the Benguela Railway (CFB).
While CFB will be in charge of transporting passengers and lighter loads.
The Lobito Corridor extends from the port of Lobito, bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, and crosses Angola from West to East, passing through the provinces of Benguela, Huambo, Bié and Moxico.
It covers the mining areas of Katanga province in the DRC and Copperbelt in Zambia.
For the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the corridor is seen as an important means of development in the region, with benefits for Angola and neighboring countries (DRC and Zambia.
Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)