DRC President Makes First Visit To US Next Week - State Department

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th March, 2019) The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) makes his first official visit to the United States next week, State Department spokesperson Robert Palladino told reporters.

"Next week we welcome the Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi on his first official visit to the United States. That will be April 3 through 5," Palladino said on Tuesday. "We share President Tshisekedi's interest in developing a strong partnership between the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and we are committed to working with him to advance his agenda to combat corruption, strengthen the rule of law, enhance security, protect human rights and promote economic growth through increased foreign investment and trade particularly with the United States.

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While in the United States, Tshisekedi will meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other US cabinet level and high level officials to discuss the cooperation between the two countries on various issues including containing the Ebola outbreak, Palladino said.

Tshisekedi, the leader of DRC opposition party Union for Democracy and Social Progress, was elected as the new DRC president having won the December 2018 election. He thus replaced Joseph Kabila, who ruled the country for 19 years.