Statement by President von der Leyen at the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment event in the framework of the G20 Summit
Excellencies,
It has been two years since we launched PGII, a joint vision by the world's leading economies to invest in the infrastructure that low- and middle-income countries need. And two years on, more large-scale projects are seeing the light. We are presenting two of them today.
First: the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor. This is nothing less than historic. It will be the most direct connection to date between India, the Arabian Gulf and Europe: with a rail link that will make trade between India and Europe 40% faster; with an electricity cable and a clean hydrogen pipeline to foster clean energy trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe; with a high-speed data cable to link some of the most innovative digital ecosystems in the world and create business opportunities all along the way. These are state-of-the-art connections for the world of tomorrow – faster, shorter, cleaner. This corridor is much more than ‘just' a railway or a cable, it is a green and digital bridge across continents and civilisations.
And this is also the spirit of the second project we announce today. The Trans-African Corridor, which will connect the port of Lobito in Angola with the Katanga province in the DRC and the copper belt in Zambia. Our goal is not only to connect a land-locked region to the sea. Our partnership will also invest in local value chains, in clean energy and in skills for the local workforce. This is the spirit of PGII: It is a whole new approach to large infrastructure investment. It is about shared prosperity. It is about real benefits for all partners.
Thank you.
