Prime Minister Stephen Harper met briefly with Augustin Matata Ponyo, the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The meeting occurred on the margins of La Francophonie Summit in Kinshasa.
The Prime Minister reiterated Canada's deep concern with weaknesses in the DRCs governance and electoral system, weakness in the guarantee of human rights and the persistence of sexual violence, particularly in the eastern DRC.
Prime Minister Harper also used the meeting to emphasize the need for improved governance and transparency to improve the business climate in the DRC, particularly in the natural resources sector.
Regarding the situation in the east of the country, the Prime Minister encouraged the DRC to continue working with regional and international partners to properly respond to the worsening situation there.
