President Tshisekedi Calls for a Balanced EU–DRC Partnership Centered on Shared Prosperity and Responsible Growth
DRC President Félix Tshisekedi Urges Europe to Embrace a Fair, Reciprocal Partnership for Sustainable Development and Critical Minerals Cooperation At Global Gateway Forum 2025,
During the second edition of the Global Gateway Forum, President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo reaffirmed the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) commitment to forging a new partnership with Europe — one based on reciprocity, mutual respect, and shared interests.
Addressing European leaders gathered in Brussels, President Tshisekedi called for an end to unequal cooperation models and urged the creation of a mature, balanced economic relationship focused on developing the DRC’s strategic resources and empowering its people.
“The DRC comes to Brussels with a simple conviction: we offer solutions,” President Tshisekedi declared. “Located in the heart of Africa, rich in strategic resources and driven by a bold youth, my country is committed to a profound energy, digital, and ecological transformation.
We seek to anchor this vision in a mature pact with our partners—particularly Europe—a partnership of equals, aligned with the priorities of our peoples and open to private co-investment.”
The DRC: A Key Partner in the Global Energy Transition
Endowed with vast reserves of cobalt, copper, coltan, and lithium, the DRC occupies a strategic position in global supply chains that underpin both the green and digital transitions.
President Tshisekedi emphasized that this mineral wealth must serve as a lever for sustainable, inclusive, and sovereign development — one where foreign investment operates within a framework of transparency, environmental responsibility, and co-development.
He called for an economic maturity pact centered on three key priorities:
Private co-investment in national industries,
Local processing of minerals to add value within the country, and
Strict adherence to environmental and social standards.
The objective, he said, is clear: the DRC’s natural wealth must directly benefit its citizens while contributing to national stability and long-term growth.
A Strategic Message to Europe and the Global Community
By articulating this vision at the Global Gateway Forum, President Tshisekedi sought to underscore a new diplomatic posture — that of a DRC aware of its geostrategic importance and determined to play a decisive role in the global energy transition.
Amid ongoing security challenges in eastern Congo, his message combined a call for international solidarity with a demand for fair partnership — one that recognizes the DRC not merely as a source of raw materials, but as a central player in shaping the future of sustainable global growth.
