Turkish vice president receives DR Congo premier in Ankara

ISTANBUL

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz received Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo Anatole Collinet Makosso at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Monday.

The two sides discussed cooperation in defense, energy, mining, transportation, education, health, agriculture, and environment, as well as regional and international developments.

In a statement on X, Yilmaz expressed his pleasure at hosting Makosso on his first official visit to Türkiye and underlined the rapid progress in bilateral ties, noting that the close friendship between the two countries' leaders and their spouses has added a new dimension to cooperation.

Yilmaz emphasized Türkiye’s desire to enhance cooperation in the military and security fields, welcoming the participation of Congolese Defense Minister Charles Richard Mondjo in the IDEF 2025 defense fair in Istanbul.

He said Mondjo’s meetings with Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Defense Industry Secretary Haluk Gorgun strengthened defense ties, adding that Türkiye is ready to host a Congolese delegation to discuss cooperation.

Bilateral trade doubles in over 5 years

Yilmaz also emphasized Türkiye’s support for Turkish investments in Congo, expressing satisfaction with the trust shown in Turkish firms and highlighting potential cooperation in hydrocarbons, mining, agriculture, and airport development.

He said bilateral trade doubled from $62 million in 2019 to $121 million in 2024 and noted the current level still falls short of the full bilateral trade potential.

Stressing energy and mining, Yilmaz said Türkiye aims to deepen ties with Congo in these areas and sees strong potential for collaboration in petroleum, natural gas, and renewable energy sectors.

He also said Turkish companies look to play a bigger role in Congo’s energy sector and are ready to help improve electricity infrastructure.

He added that Turkish language teaching will begin next year in pilot high schools in Brazzaville, Congo's capital, with plans to expand education and scholarship programs.