Kinshasa, February 4th, 2026 (CPA).- The ambition to convert the strategic resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo into development power was reaffirmed on Wednesday by the Congolese President during a working session in Washington with a senior official from an American bank, according to the Congolese Presidency. “The President reaffirmed the country’s ambition to convert its strategic resources into development power and to make its international partnerships accelerators of sovereignty, stability, and shared prosperity,” the source said.
President Félix Tshisekedi and Mr. John Jovanovic, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), discussed opportunities to strengthen the DRC-US strategic partnership with regard to the marketing of critical minerals and the promotion of the local processing industry. “Discussions focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between the DRC and the United States, particularly with regard to the marketing of Congolese critical minerals, local processing, and the creation of industrial value chains’, she reported. According to the Presidency, strategic storage opportunities, in connection with the US “Project Vault” program, and the Lobito corridor and Inga dam infrastructure projects, which are essential for logistics and industrialization, were also discussed. This working session between the two leaders took place in the presence of Mr. Conor Coleman, Chief Investment Officer at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Mr. George K. Kollitides II, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of War and Director of the Economic Warfare Unit.