On November 7, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski welcomed Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the chief diplomat of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This was the first official visit of a Congolese foreign minister to Poland. During their meeting, the two ministers explored opportunities to strengthen bilateral relations, focusing on enhancing economic cooperation in key sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, and mining.
Given the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s wealth of natural resources, there is significant potential for collaboration, particularly as Poland seeks to develop future technologies. The ministers also discussed the promising areas of information and communication technology (ICT) and digitalisation, with Polish businesses already expressing interest in the Congolese market.
Minister Sikorski praised the plan to sign a bilateral agreement on cooperation in the ICT sector during Minister Wagner’s visit. He noted that this agreement would greatly benefit Polish entrepreneurs by facilitating their efforts to secure contracts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including initiatives to digitise the Congolese government administration.
The meeting allowed Poland’s chief diplomat to discuss the country’s position on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, emphasising the importance of respecting internationally recognised borders and the right to self-determination.
Ministers also addressed the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region, focusing on security threats, human rights issues, and the humanitarian impact of instability and migration flows.
Additionally, they exchanged views on combating disinformation in media and social media, a growing challenge in Africa since the Russia–Ukraine conflict. This topic will be important as Poland prepares for its EU presidency in the first half of 2025.
