An
official welcoming ceremony for the President of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, was held at Akorda. He arrived in Kazakhstan on a
state visit – the first high-level visit in the history
of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and
Tshisekedi held talks in both narrow and expanded formats. The Head of State
emphasized that the visit would not only give new momentum to the development
of bilateral relations, but also strengthen ties between Central Asia and
Africa. Enhancing cooperation with African
countries is one of the key priorities of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, a point Tokayev
has highlighted multiple times.
He praised the Democratic Republic of the
Congo’s potential in the field of critical raw materials, noting that the country accounts for over 70% of the world’s cobalt production. Like
Kazakhstan, Congo is rich in natural resources. Therefore,
the two countries can become reliable partners in implementing mutually
beneficial projects, Tokayev stated.
«Today’s talks will elevate relations between Astana
and Kinshasa to a new level, laying a solid foundation for an effective
partnership. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is an important partner of
Kazakhstan in Africa. I am convinced that our bilateral relations have a great
future,»
Tokayev said.
The
countries are already cooperating in the mining industry, with the domestic
company ERG operating successfully in Congo. However, both sides do not intend
to stop there and plan to expand their cooperation. Therefore, during the
talks, special attention was given to the development of bilateral trade,
partnerships in the transport and logistics sectors, agriculture, IT, and digitalization.
«I would like to thank you and, through you, the
entire people of Kazakhstan for the very warm welcome extended to me personally
and to my delegation. We are ready to deepen our cooperation. Our peoples,
despite the geographical distance, share common fundamental values: respect for
sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the pursuit of peace through
dialogue. The Democratic Republic of the Congo will never forget the support of
the international community, including Kazakhstan, during the most difficult
times,»
Tshisekedi noted.
Following
the talks, the two leaders adopted a Joint Statement. Intergovernmental
documents were also signed
on diplomatic consultations
and cooperation in mining and geology. In
addition, Tokayev
awarded Tshisekedi the Order of Dostyk, First Degree, in recognition of his
significant contribution to strengthening bilateral cooperation and developing
friendship between the peoples.
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