Washington, Feb 6 (.) The United States and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) held the inaugural meeting of a joint steering committee on Wednesday, formally launching implementation of a strategic partnership aimed at boosting US investment in the mineral-rich central African nation, the two governments said in a joint statement.
The meeting marked the start of operational work under the US-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement, with Congo designating an initial list of Strategic Asset Reserve (SAR) assets. Under the agreement, U.S. companies will receive preferential access to the assets, a move the two sides said is intended to encourage investment, transparency and job creation, particularly in the critical minerals sector.
The designation of SAR assets is a key step toward creating conditions for large-scale investment, the statement said, as Washington seeks to diversify global supply chains and reduce reliance on rival producers.
Officials from both countries also held consultations on Congo-designated strategic projects and discussed their alignment with shared objectives, including economic development, supply chain resilience and regional connectivity.
The delegations reaffirmed that peace and security are essential to the partnership and discussed efforts to stabilize eastern Congo, which has been affected by years of conflict. The two sides said economic cooperation under the agreement cannot be separated from progress on security, territorial integrity and stability in the country.
The steering committee received an update on the Sakania–Lobito Corridor, a regional infrastructure project viewed as critical to improving trade links and transport of minerals to export markets.
The statement said both governments invited eligible private-sector companies to engage with either side to obtain the SAR asset list, seek designation as qualifying strategic projects and explore investment opportunities.
The joint steering committee is expected to meet regularly to monitor progress and identify new areas of cooperation as the two countries move toward full implementation of the agreement. . .