Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the holding of the preparatory meeting to the Inter-Congolese dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo

August 28, 2001

The preparatory meeting to the Inter-Congolese dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo was held from August 20 in Gaborone, Botswana. As a result of the meeting, the attendants including delegates from the Congolese Government, opposition parties and rebel movements, agreed to hold the Inter-Congolese dialogue from October 15 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Japan welcomes this achievement, and at the same time highly evaluates the efforts of the parties concerned, especially of the neutral facilitator, Sir Ketumile Masire, through which the agreement was reached.
Since the Inter-Congolese dialogue constitutes an important element of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, the Government of Japan hopes that the dialogue will be held as scheduled, and that all the parties concerned will engage in constructive discussion towards peaceful settlement of the conflict and national reconciliation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Government of Japan once again expresses its strong hope to all the parties involved in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo that the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement and the related resolutions of the United Nations Security Council are fully implemented at the earliest possible date.

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