§ Mr. BestTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the economic and political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [132246]
§ Mr. MullinThe political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is encouraging. Apart from pockets of local violence the conflict has ended. The Transitional National Government in Kinshasa is in place. It has a huge task to exert its full authority throughout the country and to prepare for elections in two years, and it will have our full support.
The DRC's economy has been devastated by years of poor government and, latterly, war. The DRC has made significant progress in stabilising the economy through a three year government economic reform programme supported by a US$786 million IMF poverty reduction and growth facility. For the first time in 13 years the economy achieved positive growth levels in 2002. The situation should improve further, with the decision on 387W 23 July by the international financial institutions to reduce the DRC's total external debt by around 80 per cent.—some US$10 billion in monetary terms.
§ Mr. BestTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo to discuss social reconstruction. [132247]
§ Mr. MullinMy right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no immediate plans to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo. But he and Ministers from both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development take every opportunity in contacts with the Transitional National Government to emphasise our readiness to support a range of post conflict development issues, including social reconstruction.