Poland and Democratic Republic of the Congo hold first consultations of foreign ministers

Minister Sikorski and Minister Wagner discussed prospects for building bilateral relations. The talks focused on mobilising economic cooperation in such sectors as agriculture, infrastructure, and mining, where the Democratic Republic of the Congo with its ample natural resources needed to develop the technologies of the future is an interesting partner for Poland. The ICT and informatisation were brought up as particularly promising areas in which the Polish business is already looking for opportunities on the Congolese market. Minister Sikorski commended the plan for a bilateral agreement on cooperation in the ICT sector to be signed during Minister Wagner's visit, as it will substantially support Polish entrepreneurs in their efforts to bid for contracts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including for the digitisation of the Congolese government administration.

The meeting was also an opportunity for Poland's chief diplomat to present the position on Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The talks confirmed the similarity of views between the administrations of the two countries on the inviolability of legal and internationally recognised state borders and the right of nations to self-determination.

The ministers discussed the current situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the entire Great Lakes region in central Africa and threats to security and human rights arising from the area's destabilisation, as well as the impact of the crisis on the humanitarian situation and migration flows. The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on countering disinformation in the mass media and on social media, a problem which has been a major challenge in Africa since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This issue will be particularly relevant in the context of the priorities of Poland's EU presidency falling in the first half of 2025.