India eyes mineral exploration, procurement deals from Congo

India has expressed keen interest in having a "mutually beneficial" relationship with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in exploration as well as procurement of various minerals from the African nation.
A business delegation led by DRC Minister of Foreign Affairs Raymond Tshibanda N Tungamulongo met Steel and Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar today, an official statement said.
Senior officials from Ministry of Steel and Mines were also present on the occasion, it added.
Addressing the delegation, Tomar said: "We are aware of the rich mineral resources available in your country. Our cooperation in this sector can be hugely mutually beneficial. This can extend to our assistance in exploration."

Industry in India would also be interested in availing opportunities in the mining sector in addition to procurement of various metals, he added.
"We would be interested to know about existing mining opportunities and any studies conducted about further exploration works," Tomar said.

The Minister assured the delegation continued cooperation of India in providing technical and financial support for capacity building and skills development.
"We would like to offer Indian expertise to assist DRC in various priority areas identified by your side and would welcome concrete proposals for collaboration," Tomar added.
DRC's Foreign Minister said there are complementaries between the two countries and to strengthen them there is a need to translate the vision into a concrete action plan in the coming weeks.

"We are keen to benefit from the new initiatives taken by the new government in the area of mining and would seek inputs and cooperation on that front," N Tungamulongo said.
Area-wise, Congo is the second-largest country in Africa and the fourth-largest in terms of population. As per IMF data, it is one of the fastest growing countries in the region, he added.