Luxembourg Hosts Global Gateway Roadshow Conference

On Monday 20 April 2026, Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and the European Commission, in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB), organised the Global Gateway Roadshow Luxembourg conference.

Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, opened the event, alongside Carlo Thelen, Director General of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, Koen Doens, Director-General for International Partnerships at the European Commission, and Andrew McDowell, Managing Director of EIB Global at the European Investment Bank.

According to the organisers, the conference brought together stakeholders from Luxembourg's private sector, as well as institutions supporting their international development, alongside Luxembourg and European policymakers. It highlighted the potential of the European Union's Global Gateway strategy to create investment opportunities, strengthen private sector engagement in partner countries outside the EU and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In his opening remarks, Minister Bettel stated: "As public funding for development aid continues to decline worldwide, it is becoming essential to mobilise other sources of financing. We must strengthen partnerships with the private sector to stimulate innovation, attract capital and share our expertise with partner countries. In this context, the Global Gateway approach is crucial: it aims to jointly mobilise public and private financing, in a 'Team Europe' spirit, to maximise the impact of our investments."

Carlo Thelen added: "The Global Gateway is establishing itself as a solid and credible instrument contributing to strengthening European sovereignty. It offers Luxembourg companies an opportunity to leverage their technologies while positioning them as reliable and sustainable partners on the global stage. Thanks to structured support and tailored financial assistance mechanisms, it facilitates the implementation of sustainable and high-impact projects."

Within this framework, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has established an inter-institutional network, "Team Luxembourg", tasked with facilitating access to the opportunities offered by the Global Gateway strategy, particularly by supporting the submission of projects of interest to Luxembourg companies.

Andrew McDowell highlighted the EIB's contribution to the Global Gateway initiative, emphasising the bank's support for European companies in their international development, either through direct financial assistance or via EIB-funded projects to which European private actors can contribute their technology and expertise and benefit from new markets. The Trade and Investment Initiative, jointly led by the European Commission and the EIB, aims to encourage and increase European external investment and, thereby, strengthen the competitiveness of European businesses.

Launched in 2021, the Global Gateway is a European strategy aimed at boosting European investment in the sustainable development, digital, energy, transport, health, education and research sectors in partner countries. It seeks to combine business opportunities for European companies with high-impact projects that benefit local stakeholders.

According to the authorities, the strategy opens up new prospects, particularly in the Mediterranean region, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Asia-Pacific region. The Global Gateway is also considered a key instrument for the enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood countries. It relies in particular on large-scale investment projects combining sectoral and technical dialogue, as well as financial support, and on dedicated initiatives, such as the "Global Gateway Investment Hubs", linked to "Team Nationals" and "Team Europe".