Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma and his DRC counterpart, Joseph Kabila Kabange, have committed to prioritise key areas of cooperation, including trade and investment, energy and infrastructure, among others.
Zuma on Wednesday returned from a successful two-day state visit to the (DRC), where he held bilateral discussions with Kabila.
The two Heads of State also noted the progress made towards strengthening political and economic cooperation between the two countries.
This was Zuma’s first state visit to the DRC, which saw the signing of the all-important Grand Inga Treaty. The treaty outlines the development of the Grand Inga complex, currently estimated at US $100 billion.
Zuma’s visit also took place at a time when the DRC is experiencing relative stability as a result of the role of the Intervention Brigade, which South Africa is part of. South Africa has played a crucial role in the realisation of peace and stability in the DRC since 1997.
Zuma and Kabila’s discussions focused on the peace and security situation in the DRC, particularly in the eastern part of the country.
“In this regard, the two Heads of State condemned in the strongest possible terms the destabilising activities of the rebel movements, in particular the M23.
“The two Heads of State commended the DRC national army for protecting the territorial integrity of the country. Equally, the two Heads of State expressed their appreciation of the work of the United Nations Stabilisation Force (MONUSCO), in particular the Intervention Brigade,” said the Presidency in a statement.
Zuma and Kabila reaffirmed their commitment to work together to address the underlying security challenges facing the DRC.
Said Zuma: “We are pleased with the outcomes of our deliberations. The outcomes of our discussions reaffirm our continued commitment and resolve to put our bilateral cooperation and partnership to higher levels.” – SAnews.gov.za
