Mohammed bin Rashid receives the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo at Expo 2020

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today received Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; HH Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior;  and HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, at Expo 2020 Dubai.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and President Tshisekedi witnessed the signing of a number of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at strengthening ties between the UAE and DRC.

Welcoming President Tshisekedi and his accompanying delegation, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid expressed the hope that the meeting at Expo 2020 will pave the way for a new phase of wider constructive cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting discussed bilateral relations and ways to expand cooperation, especially in the commercial, tourism, education, health, infrastructure and investment fields. The discussions also touched on opportunities to enhance Emirati-African cooperation through stronger ties between the UAE and the Democratic Republic of Congo. President Tshisekedi is currently the Chairman of the African Union.

The two sides exchanged views on how they can promote private sector cooperation in enhancing investment and trade flows, which grew 94% between 2017 and 2020; and share knowledge and experiences in various sustainable development fields. The meeting explored ways to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and accelerate recovery in the African continent. President Felix Tshisekedi expressed his sincere appreciation for the assistance extended by the UAE to the Democratic Republic of Congo in various fields and hoped that bilateral cooperation will grow in strength.

Other officials who attended the meeting included His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council; His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; HE Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai, and His Excellency Hazaa Mohammed Falah Al-Qahtani, Non-Resident Ambassador of the UAE to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Sheikh Mohammed and President Félix Tshisekedi presided over the signing of a number of agreements. These included an MoU on the establishment of a joint committee to promote cooperation and an agreement to facilitate mutual administrative assistance on customs-related matters. The agreements were signed by His Excellency Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State, and His Excellency Christophe Lutundula Apala, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of DRC.

HE Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, and Christophe Lutundula Apala also signed agreements to avoid double taxation, prevent tax evasion and protect each other’s investments. Furthermore, His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and HE Olivier Mwenze Makaleng, DRC’s Minister of Water Resources and Electricity signed an MoU for cooperation in the field of renewable energy and sustainable development.  Another MoU was signed between Emaar Properties and DRC’s Ministry of Urban Affairs and Housing and Ministry of Land Affairs. HE Jamal bin Theniyah, Chairman of Emaar Properties signed the MoU along with HE Pius Muabilu Mbayu Mukala, DRC’s State Minister of Urban Affairs and Housing and HE Aimé Sakombi Molendo, DRC’s Minister of Land.

An MoU between the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and Congo Business Union, aimed at promoting business and investment opportunities, was also signed by HE Abdullah Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of UAE Chambers, and Leny Ilondo, Chairman of the Industry Committee.