French Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Cooperation, Development and Francophonie, Mrs. Brigitte Girardin, undertook a trip in Africa. She visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on 24 March 2007, Seychelles (29 Mars-1 April 2007) and Mauritius (2-3 April 2007). During her visit to the DRC, the Minister met with the president, Mr. Joseph Kabila, with who she talked about the political situation and the way ahead in the peacebuilding process since elections held in October 2006. The French Minister visit marked France commitment to supporting Congolese authorities democratically elected and more generally its commitment to contributing to the country recovery and efforts towards sustainable peace and development. She also met with the Prime Minister, Mr. Antoine Gizenga and the Foreign Minister, Mr. Mboussa Nyamwisi. She signed a framework document (the first cooperation agreement between the two countries since seventeen years) establishing a partnership within which France will provide during five years a financial aid of 235 millions euros.

In Seychelles, Mrs Girardin had talks with the president, Mr. James Michel, the vice-president and other government officials and met with the leader of the opposition, Wavel Ramkalawan. She also signed a bilateral agreement aims to promote and protect investments in the area of tourism; an agreement intending to facilitate employment of people from the Reunion Island (a French overseas Department in the Indian Ocean). This visit was also an occasion to meet with french entrepreneurs operating in the fishing sector.

In Mauritius, on April 2, she met the Prime Minister, Mr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, as well as several members of the Government and signed a framework document of partnership which, accompaning an economic transition programme for Mauritius, sets up priorities for their bilateral cooperation for the 2007-2011 period. This partnership will be made of an amount of 252 million euros.

Mrs. Girardin also inaugurated the new buildings of the French Agency for Development (AFD) and signed the first annual convention providing a global budgetary assistance of 24 million euros. Lastly, she signed an agreement between the Government of the French Republic and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius aiming at facilitating the movement of the nationals Mauritians to the Reunion Island.

During her stay in Mauritius, Mrs. Girardin was supposed to take part, on April 3, in the 23rd Council of Ministers of the Commission of the Indian Ocean (COI). The Council of the COI was to examine the preparation of important projects of cooperation for the future of the region, in particular a project of the AFD of 6 million euros intended to reinforce the monitoring and the prevention of the epidemics such as that of the chikungunya, which had touched this area in 2005 and 2006.

Source: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs