Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday at his office with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Félix Tshisekedi.
During their meeting, the Prime Minister and the President agreed to strengthen the economic and security relations between the two countries.
Netanyahu said to Tshisekedi, "It is a pleasure welcoming our good friend, the President of the Republic of Congo, in Israel. It is a great friendship. We are strengthening it, and this visit will only help strengthen it even further. So welcome, Mr. President!"
President Isaac Herzog also welcomed Tshisekedi to the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Tuesday, together with the senior delegation accompanying him on the visit.
The two presidents held a diplomatic meeting, at the conclusion of which they delivered statements to the media. Later in the evening, President Herzog hosted a dinner for President Tshisekedi, attended by the Foreign Ministers of Israel and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and members of the delegations.
“Welcome, my dear friend, President Tshisekedi. I am so glad to reciprocate and host you in Israel after you hosted me so beautifully in Kinshasa. The relations that we have with the Democratic Republic of the Congo are incredibly important to us. We have so many fields of cooperation. We respect your support of Israel, Mr. President, in the international arena, and this visit shows the depth and importance of these relations," Herzog said.
“Israel puts a major focus on its relations with Africa. I have had the enormous pleasure of visiting the continent of Africa on numerous occasions in the last few years, and I hope to see more of Africa, and meet and have a dialogue with African leaders across the continent," added Herzog.
He continued, “Our relations stem from the love of the Bible and the vision of moving forward toward development and doing good in the family of nations. I know that you are striving with many challenges, Mr. President, but we are here to help and support - especially in the humanitarian challenges that you face in so many fields - and other issues that are so important to your well-being and national interests. Shalom to you and thank you for visiting the holy city."
President Tshisekedi stated, “I am pleased to be here today in Jerusalem. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the State of Israel maintain long-standing ties that we wish to strengthen today."
“With President Herzog, we discussed the main international and regional issues, as well as the challenges of peace and security facing our countries," he continued.
“Our discussions confirmed our shared commitment to giving a new dimension to cooperation between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the State of Israel, particularly in agriculture and food security, water, health, technology and innovation, security, training and investment."
“Our ambition is to build with Israel a modern, pragmatic and mutually beneficial partnership, one that is measured not only by the agreements we sign, but by their implementation and the results they produce for our two peoples," concluded Tshisekedi.
In 2023, Netanyahu met Tshisekedi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. During the meeting, Netanyahu and Tshisekedi announced that Israel would open an embassy in Kinshasa, and Congo would move its embassy to Jerusalem.
In 2021, Tshisekedi met with then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and announced that his country will open a diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital.
At the time, he did not discuss the opening of an embassy in Israel’s capital, but added that the new mission would also work to increase economic ties between the two countries.