DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇱 Israel /Economy & Trade

Sa’ar and Herzog host DRC officials in visit aimed at strengthening ties with Israel

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Israeli officials hosted DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner in Jerusalem.
  • Talks covered bilateral relations, Israel’s security challenges and implementation of a peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda.
  • Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel hoped to announce a major advance in relations with the DRC.

Israel is looking to turn a high-level visit by Democratic Republic of the Congo officials into a “significant leap forward” in relations between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hosted his Congolese counterpart, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, in Jerusalem as she accompanied President Felix Tshisekedi on his visit. Sa’ar said the two sides held comprehensive discussions on their relationship, including Israel’s security challenges and the implementation of an ongoing peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda.

The DRC is a friendly country to Israel, and I hope that soon we will be able to announce a significant leap forward in relations between the countries.

— Gideon Sa’arIsrael’s foreign minister described the expected direction of bilateral ties.

“The DRC is a friendly country to Israel, and I hope that soon we will be able to announce a significant leap forward in relations between the countries,” Sa’ar wrote on X.

my dear friend

— Isaac HerzogIsrael’s president used the phrase while welcoming Felix Tshisekedi.

President Isaac Herzog also welcomed Tshisekedi and posted images of the meeting, calling the Congolese leader “my dear friend.” The visit reflects cooperation that has expanded in areas including agriculture, technology and security, even though the countries’ diplomatic history has been uneven.

Israel and Congo established diplomatic relations after Congo gained independence in 1960. They severed ties after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when the Arab League pressured African countries to break relations with Israel. Mobutu Sese Seko, then Congo’s president, described the decision as choosing between a “friend” and a “brother.” Congo restored relations with Israel in the early 1980s, becoming one of the first African countries to do so.

very, very well

— Felix TshisekediThe DRC president described the state of discussions with Israel.

Tshisekedi has since sought closer cooperation with Israel. In comments cited by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency before Herzog visited the DRC last year, Tshisekedi said discussions with Israel were going “very, very well” and that his country had “many opportunities” to offer. Herzog said the countries’ friendship was deep and supported projects benefiting both sides.

The evidence is clear, the friendship is deep between the two countries, through projects beneficial for our two countries, and this will be an opportunity to seize

— Isaac HerzogHerzog described the countries’ cooperation and the opportunities presented by the relationship.
About this summary

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog