News & Events Details

THE BILL AUTHORIZING THE RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP-APEG SIGNED WITH THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AND THAT AUTHORIZING THE RATIFICATION OF THE NEW INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT ON COCOA-AIC VOTED THIS FRIDAY JULY 3, 2026 BY THE SENATE

Consolidation of the integration of the Democratic Republic of Congo into multilateral trade, the Senate voted this Friday, July 3, 2026, the bill authorizing the ratification of the Agreement on the Global Economic Partnership-APEG signed on February 2 in Abu Dhabi with the United Arab Emirates and that authorizing the ratification of the new International Agreement on Cocoa-AIC, signed on June 2, 2026 in Abidjan on the Coast of Ivory, and this, after the defense of these strategic instruments by the Minister of Foreign Trade, Julien Paluku Kahongya, responding to the various concerns of the Senators.

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed with the United Arab Emirates will play a key role in increasing trade and investments, with 6,000 products made in the DRC which will be exempt from customs duties on the Emirati market, strengthening the productive capacities of the DRC, customs cooperation and the diversification of partners, but also in the transfer of technologies and in the fight against poverty, indicated the Minister of Commerce from the rostrum of the upper house of the parliament.

The ratification of the International Cocoa Agreement-AIC offers several advantages to the country including the integration of the DRC into the global governance of the cocoa sector, participation in making major decisions on the regulation of cocoa prices, support for local producers, promotion of local cocoa processing with the development of value chains, access to confidential information and statistics added Minister Julien Paluku Kahongya

Note also that the bill authorizing the ratification of the creation of the Shelter Afrique Development Bank was voted by the Senate, after its defense by the Minister of State, Minister of Urban Planning and Housing, Alexis Gisaro.