Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma will on Tuesday start his two-day state visit in the Democratic Republic of Congo aimed at strengthen existing relations between the two countries.
“The two Presidents are expected to discuss political, economic and security cooperation and pay particular focus on the search for peace and stability in the eastern part of the DRC and the Great Lakes Region,” the Presidency said on Friday.
South Africa plays a critical part in the promotion and consolidation of peace and stability in the DRC by contributing troops to the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). South Africa also contributes to a Battalion serving as part of the MONUSCO Intervention Brigade, established under the UN Security Council Resolution 2098.
The two countries cooperate in several projects covering various fields, including security sector reform, infrastructure development, capacity and institutional building, humanitarian and social matters.
Both President Zuma and President Joseph Kabila have in the past reiterated their commitment to strengthen economic relations by enhancing cooperation between the business communities of the two countries and by increasing bilateral trade and investment.
The growing bilateral economic cooperation between South Africa and the DRC will receive added impetus through a two-day Business Forum to be held in Kinshasa.
The Forum, according to the Presidency, will devise appropriate mechanisms to expand economic cooperation and investments between the two countries.
President Zuma will also be accompanied by a business delegation as well as eight cabinet ministers. These will comprise of the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane; the Minister for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Collins Chabane; the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula; the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa; the Minister of Energy, Ben Martins; and the Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies. – SAnews.gov.za
