On April 13, 2023, in New Delhi, India and the Republic of the Congo held their second round of Foreign Office Consultations( FOC). Shri Sevala Naik Mude, JS( C& WA), and Ambassador Gisele Bouanga-Kalou, Director of Cabinet, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ROC Government, co-chaired it.
Both sides reviewed all aspects of bilateral relations during the meeting, including politics, trade, commerce, investments, defense and security, partnerships for development, capacity building, culture, and people-to-people connections. Additionally, they talked about ways to improve relations between ROC and India. Both parties agreed to improve their cooperation in the multilateral fora after exchanging opinions on regional and international issues of shared interest.
Since the ROC’s’s pre-Independence era, India and it have had cordial and friendly relations. Our bilateral ties have gotten even stronger since our resident mission in Brazzaville opened in 2019. From US$ 527 million in 2018 to US$ 1.47 billion in FY 2021– 2022, bilateral trade has been steadily increasing. For the purpose of rural electrification, the creation of transportation systems, and the building of cement plants, India had granted the ROC three Lines of Credit( LoCs) totaling US$ 214.90 million. India has also helped ROC build its capacity by offering scholarships and fellowships under the ICCR as well as training to Congolese officials in a variety of ITEC areas.
The discussions took place in a cordial and friendly setting. The following round of consultations will be held in Brazzaville at a time that is convenient for both parties.
