(3 minute read)
Efforts to strengthen collaboration in the energy sector between the Republic of Congo and the United States were the focus of a meeting on November 25 in Brazzaville between Congolese Minister of Hydrocarbons Bruno Jean Richard Itoua and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Amanda Jacobsen. Jacobsen reiterated Washington’s interest in increasing American investment in Congo’s hydrocarbon industry, highlighting a renewed commitment to a long-term partnership.
This was Jacobsen’s first official meeting with the Minister of Hydrocarbons, and she described the conversation as “productive,” noting that both parties share a mutual interest in advancing an already well-established relationship. American oil and energy companies have been operating in Congo for decades, contributing substantially to the development of the country’s energy infrastructure. According to the U.S. diplomat, this history of cooperation provides a reliable platform on which to build new investment opportunities.
The discussion also builds upon high-level commitments made in September, when President Denis Sassou N’Guesso met with the Governor of Oklahoma and leadership from Continental Resources, a major U.S. oil producer headquartered in Oklahoma City. During that meeting, President Sassou N’Guesso expressed his intention to attract more American investment into Congo’s oil and energy sectors. Jacobsen reaffirmed that the United States shares this ambition, noting a strong alignment of economic priorities and an eagerness to see more U.S. companies contribute to Congo’s energy development.
The Brazzaville meeting with Minister Itoua thus represents a new step in strengthening bilateral energy cooperation. It comes at a time when Congo is seeking to diversify its partnerships and attract new investors to drive growth and modernization in its hydrocarbon and broader energy sectors.