diplomacy&development

The Belgian King, Phillipe addressing the congolese people during an official ceremony at the DRC national Parliament King Philippe and Queen Mathilde arrived in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, this Tuesday, June 7.  It was the last Wednesday that the visit of the Belgian sovereigns to the Congo really began, the first royal visit in 12 years, initially planned for 2020 for the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the independence of the Congo but postponed three times because of the health crisis and then the war in Ukraine.  In 2010, King Albert II was invited to visit Congo during the era of Joseph Kabila. The King of the Belgians, however, did not speak and was instructed not to make a statement in public.  “If you want to be able to work as real partners who can look each other in the eye, you have to face the past. It’s impossible not to look the past in the eye,” says Alexander De Croo.  King Philippe had already taken a step in t...

  Jean Michel Sama Lukonde, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo had a meeting with Alexander De Croo, Belgian Prime Minister, Tuesday June 07, 2022, a few hours after the arrival of the Belgian royal couple in the DRC This meeting was held in two stages allowing several issues related to development and cooperation to be discussed by the authorities. On the Belgian side, we noted the presence of the Minister for Cooperation, Meryam Kitir, the Secretary of State in charge of recovery and restitution, Thomas Dermine, and a few officials. The Congolese side was represented by the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula, the Minister of State in charge of Planning, Christian Mwando Nsimba, and the Minister of Justice, Rose Mutombo, the Minister of Foreign Trade, Jean-Lucien Bussa, and some members of the Prime Minister's Cabinet. “This visit is important because, on the one hand in our relations, we have a whole history between us. Our Ki...

Le directeur de la stratégie et des opérations de la Banque mondiale pour l'Afrique de l’Est et australe, Humberto Lopez, a conclu une visite de deux jours en République démocratique du Congo (RDC), au cours de laquelle lui et le directeur pays, Jean Christophe Carret, ont rencontré le Ministre des finances Nicolas Kazadi et visité des projets en cours de réalisation à Kinshasa, notamment la construction de la future station de traitement des eaux Ozone. « Je tiens à exprimer ma profonde appréciation pour l'étroit partenariat et la collaboration entre le Ministère des Finances, et plus généralement la RDC, et je tiens à remercier personnellement Monsieur le Ministre Kazadi pour ses efforts pour construire un programme solide qui est sur le point d'atteindre 7 milliards de dollars en crédits et dons », a déclaré M. Lopez après la réunion. Le portefeuille actif de la Banque pour la RDC atteindra environ 7 milliards de dollars à la fin du mois de juin 2022, grâce à une augment...

·       A dynamic private sector is key for the economies of the region to grow out of their currently high debt levels ·       Unlocking sustainable growth in the region’s private sector requires reforms that facilitate innovation, the adoption of digital technologies and investments in human capital ·       Reforms to support these objectives must take account of sustainability and the global agenda to limit climate change.   The European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank have published a joint report, Unlocking Sustainable Private Sector Growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The report analyses constraints on productivity growth and limited accumulation of factors or production in the MENA private sector. The report is based on the MENA Enterprise Survey conducted between late 2018 and 2020 on over 5 800 formal businesses across Egypt, Jord...

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany has released the Eighth Episode of their TV program ‘Our Africa by Merck Foundation’ on Saturday, 4th June 2022 on KTN, Kenya, repeated on every Wednesday and also on Sunday, 5th June on NTV, Uganda, repeated every Thursday. “Our Africa by Merck Foundation” also airs on GH One TV in Ghana, every Sunday at 2 pm. The TV program’s eighth episode addressed the important topic of “Sustainability is a Shared Responsibility”. The previous episodes have addressed diabetes prevention, breaking infertility stigma, supporting girl education, promoting a healthy lifestyle, ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and Coronavirus Health Awareness. The TV program has been receiving great reviews from viewers and social media followers. Watch the Eighth Episode promo here: https://youtu.be/Xu0ZPrTK3sY Watch the Eighth Episode here: https://youtu.be/hFIHJ39Wd98 ‘Our Africa by Merck Foundation’ is a pan African TV program that is conceptualiz...

The King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium while getting off from the airplane at N'djili International Airport in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC The King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium arrived in Kinshasa the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday June 7 and will stay in the country until Monday June 13, 2022.  The Belgian couple's agenda includes discussions with Congolese officials in Kinshasa. In the Congolese capital, the highlight of their presence will undoubtedly be the decoration with the highest distinction of Corporal Albert Kunyunku who is the last living veteran. He had fought in the Second World War and has just celebrated his 100th birthday.  Belgian Royal Couple greeting DRC Presidential Couple Belgian sovereigns will also visit the Academy of Fine Arts in the Congolese capital. Subsequently, the royal couple and their entire delegation will travel to Lubumbashi on Friday, June 10. Their on-site program includes a visit to the Belgian sch...

This event will be an opportunity to develop a common African vision on this vital space.   Morocco is hosting on June 8 in Rabat the first Ministerial Meeting of African Atlantic States, which will bring together 21 countries of the Atlantic coast, including about fifteen represented at ministerial level. This event will be an opportunity to develop a common African vision on this vital space, to promote an African Atlantic identity and defend with one voice the strategic interests of the Continent. The work of this ministerial meeting will focus on three themes, namely, "Political Dialogue, Security and Safety", "Blue Economy and Connectivity" and "Environment and Energy". This Moroccan initiative confirms the Kingdom's commitment to optimizing the strategic value of the Atlantic, and its desire to see all the riparian countries gather on both sides of the Atlantic around common principles and converging interests. As part of the preparation of this ...