The World Fund for Development and Planning (WFDP) convened a high-level strategic meeting with a senior delegation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to discuss comprehensive cooperation frameworks, investment opportunities, and the digital transformation of government systems.

The DRC delegation was led by Honorable Professor Bahati Lukwebo Modeste, Vice President of the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and included Honorable Serge Bahati, Member of Parliament, H.E. Mr. Christian Katoto, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Namibia, alongside members of their official delegation.

The WFDP delegation was headed by H.E. Amb. Ekramy El Zaghat, President of the World Fund for Development and Planning, accompanied by Mr. Nader Said, WFDP Commercial Attaché, Mr. Rajiv Kapoor, WFDP Financial Advisor, Mr. Vinay Aggarwal, Secretary General of WFDP – India, and members of the President’s Office.

 

Strategic Dialogue and Key Interventions

Opening the discussions,  Honorable Professor Bahati Lukwebo Modeste, Vice President of the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, emphasized the importance of structured international partnerships in advancing national development priorities. He highlighted the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s commitment to attracting responsible investment in infrastructure, energy, environmental sustainability, and mining, supported by strong legislative and institutional frameworks.

In his address, H.E. Amb. Ekramy El Zaghat, President of WFDP, reaffirmed WFDP’s readiness to engage in long-term cooperation with Congolese institutions. He underlined WFDP’s commitment to mobilizing its affiliated companies and technical partners to support projects in construction, energy, environmental sustainability, mining, and the digitalization of government systems, including e-governance platforms and digital public services aligned with international best practices.

H.E. Mr. Christian Katoto, Ambassador of the DRC to Namibia, highlighted the role of diplomacy in facilitating effective cooperation and ensuring continuity between strategic dialogue and implementation. He reaffirmed the DRC’s openness to international partnerships and expressed confidence in the added value of cooperation with WFDP.

Addressing the financial aspects of cooperation, Mr. Rajiv Kapoor, WFDP Financial Advisor, outlined potential investment and financing structures designed to support large-scale development projects while ensuring transparency, sustainability, and risk mitigation. He emphasized the importance of structured financing models to attract long-term capital.

Mr. Vinay Aggarwal, Secretary General of WFDP – India, emphasized the role of international expertise and South–South cooperation, highlighting opportunities for technology transfer, industrial development, and digital governance solutions based on successful experiences from emerging economies.

Focusing on implementation and commercial coordination, Mr. Nader Said, WFDP Commercial Attaché, highlighted the readiness of WFDP-affiliated companies to engage in priority sectors and stressed the importance of clear regulatory coordination and investment facilitation mechanisms.

In concluding remarks, Honorable Serge Bahati reaffirmed the strong political will of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to advance this cooperation. He emphasized the strategic importance of integrating infrastructure development, environmental sustainability, carbon credit initiatives, mining projects, and government digitalization within a unified national development framework.

 

Priority Areas of Cooperation

The meeting identified the following priority areas for collaboration:

1- Construction and large-scale infrastructure development
2- Energy and renewable energy projects
2- Environmental sustainability and carbon credit development in the DRC
4- Mining and responsible natural resource development
5- Digitalization and modernization of government systems, including e-governance and digital public services.

The discussions concluded with a shared understanding to pursue extensive and long-term cooperation, with follow-up technical coordination and potential agreements to be developed in subsequent phases.

Both delegations expressed confidence that this partnership will contribute to sustainable development, institutional modernization, economic growth, and strengthened regional and international cooperation.