Tshisekedi visit to France likely to focus on war in eastern DRC and commerce
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French President Emmanuel Macron met his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi on Monday in Paris. The visit, which will continue tomorrow, Tuesday, will focus on business partnerships, but is also likely to touch on the war in eastern DRC.
Felix Tshisekedi has already visited Paris in the past for international summits, but this is his first official visit to France.
The French president previously visited Kinshasa in March 2023 as part of a tour of Central Africa.
During that visit Macron pledged 34 million euros of aid to Congo's conflict-hit east and said any party seeking to derail peace efforts there should face sanctions.
For this visit, Macron has organised a ceremony for Tshisekedi at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris as well as meetings with political representatives at the National Assembly and Senate on Monday. He will visit the Élysée Palace on Tuesday.
Business meetings between French and Congolese partners are also scheduled for Tuesday during a Franco-Congolese economic forum organised at the conference centre in Bercy.
Meanwhile, Medef, the group representing French business leaders, will also host roundtable discussions with Congolese guests. It says it wants to foster French investment in the DRC, especially in agriculture and in the energy sector.
Congolese business leaders intend to plead for investments for small and medium-sized companies.
Demands for peace
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