Ashraf Siddiqui
Doha
The Embassy of Democratic Republic of Congo recently inaugurated DRC Pavilion at the International Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha.
Present on the occasion were Commissioner-General of Expo 2023 Doha HE Ambassador Bader Omar Ismail Al Dafa, Ambassador of Congo to Qatar HE Valerie Lusamba Kabeya, Secretary-General of Expo 2023 Doha Mohammed Ali Al-Khouri, ambassadors and guests.
Ambassador Kabeya praised the leadership of Qatar for hosting the expo under the theme of ‘Green Desert, Better Environment’, which, according to her, is a testament to the high priority the country places on the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development.
She said Qatar was one of the first countries to ratify the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and this expo platform encourages all to develop innovative solutions for the reduction of desertification within the framework of fruitful international cooperation.
The Democratic Republic of Congo pavilion was inaugurated with the motto ‘Peace, Justice, Work’, written in Mandombe Congolese script.
The ambassador said that Congo, with its vast territory on an area of 2,345,409 km², with millions of hectares of arable land, vast expanses of pasture to raise more than 40 million heads of livestock and an estimated fish density of 700,000 tonnes per year, can be a major contributor to global food security.
She added that DRC has strategic natural and mineral resources for the energy transition that has been a major GDP contributor for several decades, including cobalt, lithium, copper, coltan, tin and diamonds, among others.
She said that under the leadership of the president, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has adopted a new vision, which includes doing everything possible to ensure that the transformation of the agricultural sector in the DRC becomes a reality.
The envoy added that the Congolese government has made courageous commitments to dedicate 30 percent of its national territory to the preservation of biodiversity.
She said pavilion at the expo represents not only a territory, but also a people - a people estimated to be more than 100 million, composed of more than 450 ethnic groups, whose will to live together makes Congo a united, strong and indivisible nation.
She added that Congo’s wealth goes beyond its vast arable land and multiple natural resources, but also the vitality of the rich cultural diversity of its people.
The Congolese envoy expressed gratitude to Qatar and the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the hospitality and the spirit of the expo, which transcend geographical, cultural and economic boundaries to welcome the entire world.
She also thanked all the partners and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to make the pavilion a reality.
