The governments of Mozambique and the Republic of Congo expressed on Friday, May 23, their willingness to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two nations, with a focus on key sectors for economic development, namely hydrocarbon exploration, forest management, and diplomacy.
This intention was demonstrated during a meeting in Maputo between President Daniel Chapo and the Congolese ambassador, Constant Serge Bounda, who conveyed an official message from the Congolese President, Denis Sassou Nguesso.
“Mozambique and Congo are inseparable partners, and therefore it is necessary to intensify cooperation in areas considered strategic. Over the years, the states have exchanged information on various topics, thanks to historically close ties,” stated Bounda. The diplomat added that the meeting with President Chapo included an extensive analysis of new opportunities for collaboration in the context of the upcoming celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Mozambique and Congo.
According to the Congolese representative, the economic potential of both countries provides a solid foundation for new forms of cooperation. He emphasized that “the Republic of Congo and Mozambique are two countries with great potential, and we are also investing in economic diplomacy. The role of Special Economic Zones as a development model draws particular attention.”
Bounda revealed that the opening of a Mozambican diplomatic mission in Congo is planned — an initiative that will help reinforce institutional presence and political-diplomatic exchange between the two countries. “This new diplomatic push is based on a shared vision of sustainable cooperation, with mutual benefits and grounded in principles of African solidarity.”
Mozambique has three approved development projects for exploiting the natural gas reserves in the Rovuma Basin — ranked among the largest in the world — all located offshore in Cabo Delgado province.
Two of these are large-scale projects involving transporting gas from the seabed to onshore facilities for liquefaction and subsequent export by sea in liquid form.
One project is led by TotalEnergies (Area 1 consortium), whose construction progressed until an indefinite suspension following the armed attack in Palma in March 2021, at which point the French energy company declared it would only resume work when the area became secure. The other large-scale project, still pending an official start date, is led by ExxonMobil and Eni (Area 4 consortium). A third, smaller project — also under the Area 4 consortium — consists of a floating platform for gas extraction and processing for export directly at sea, which began operations in November 2022.
Source: Diário Económico
