Message from Mr. François Pujolas, Ambassador of France to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the occasion of the national holiday of the French Republic (July 14, 2020)
François Pujolas, Ambassador of France
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
It’s an opportunity to remember his motto: freedom, equality, fraternity. In the particular context of the health crisis linked to covid-19, this motto takes on its full meaning.
First of all, I would like to pay tribute to the victims of this disease, salute the resilience of the Congolese population in this ordeal and say the gratitude of the French community towards the health personnel mobilized against the coronavirus and more broadening of the all public services and private actors who contribute to the response.
This global crisis spares no one; This is the meaning of the message carried at the highest level by several countries including France and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on April 15 and whose air humanitarian bridge with Europe, set up on June 8 in Kinshasa and 9 June in Goma, provided an exemplary illustration.
More generally, France has always stood alongside with the DRC and the Congolese people. It thus wished to relaunch its partnership, in order to support it in the movement which is committed to strengthening democracy and modernizing the country. Our political dialogue made it possible to define its priorities:
Presidents Tshisekedi and Macron met in Paris on November 12, and the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian made two visits to Kinshasa in May 2019, in Kinshasa and Goma in June 2020. France supports first of all the efforts made in favor of stabilization and lasting peace in the east of the country.
It thus welcomes the opening of President Tshisekedi towards his neighbors and pleads in favor of cumulative cooperation between the various residents of the Great Lakes. Within the framework of their bilateral partnership between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and France, concrete actions were agreed in various fields including that of security, and in particular the training of senior management of the security forces.
In the field of education, France supports the reform of free education as part of the objective of providing the greatest possible access to quality education, especially for young girls. France has therefore decided to support the creation of a teacher training institute.
Our partnership is also available in the areas of the environment, including the sustainable management of forests, that is to say the ability to make reasonable use of the forest resource while preserving it.
A point on health, which constitutes a strong axis of our partnership. We support the reform aimed at implementing universal health coverage and at the same time contribute to building capacity to care for patients.
This objective generally guides the bilateral roadmap adopted at the end of 2019 to better fight against epidemics.
This involves strengthening emergency aid in the field, but also health structures (referral hospitals, community centers), and finally, strengthening epidemiological surveillance and developing research.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate how France and Europe are attached to the privileged relationship with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country central to the future of the African continent.
Long live the Democratic Republic of Congo! Long live France ! Long live the friendship between our 2 countries!
End --- --- ---
Message taken from the French Embassy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, by:
Cassien Tribunal Aungane, Editor
Comments
Post a Comment